1
as in institutions
a public organization with a particular purpose or function
donated to a foundation that supported cancer research
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in cornerstones
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
she had a good enough foundation in math to pursue an economics degree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foundations
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations.
—
ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
The foundations are in place, but the priority now is execution—at speed and at scale.
—Pandu Sjahrir, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
More than four years in the making, the 243-footer shares the same technical foundations—steel hull, aluminum superstructure, and hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system—as the inaugural hull the Italian yard launched last October, but has been radically personalized by the owner.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026
Plants have a shallow root system, so allow plenty of space for roots to develop when planting around foundations, hardscape, and thirsty trees and shrubs.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Two miles east of the towers, in Bologna’s Renato Dall’Ara Stadium, Aston Villa’s own foundations were at risk.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
And there’s been —the foundations are there, and everybody goes to Washington.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
Remember, strong foundations result from honest dialogue.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Between 2006 and 2011 Wright served as the director of several foundations, including the Foundation for Teaching Economics (2006–10), the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation (2009–17), and the Pacific Research Institute (2009– ).
—Anca Gurzu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
The foundations are in place, but the priority now is execution—at speed and at scale.
—Pandu Sjahrir, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
More than four years in the making, the 243-footer shares the same technical foundations—steel hull, aluminum superstructure, and hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system—as the inaugural hull the Italian yard launched last October, but has been radically personalized by the owner.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026
Plants have a shallow root system, so allow plenty of space for roots to develop when planting around foundations, hardscape, and thirsty trees and shrubs.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Two miles east of the towers, in Bologna’s Renato Dall’Ara Stadium, Aston Villa’s own foundations were at risk.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
And there’s been —the foundations are there, and everybody goes to Washington.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
Remember, strong foundations result from honest dialogue.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Between 2006 and 2011 Wright served as the director of several foundations, including the Foundation for Teaching Economics (2006–10), the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation (2009–17), and the Pacific Research Institute (2009– ).
—Anca Gurzu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundations
Noun
-
As part of his broader effort to consolidate control over Hungary’s democratic system, Orbán installed loyal allies at the helm of key institutions, from the media authority to the public prosecutor’s office and the Constitutional Court.—
Justin Spike,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Orbán had used a supermajority in Parliament to rewrite the constitution, consolidating his power and tilting key institutions toward his interests.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Plus, some of the players Colorado is counting on to be cornerstones are off to terrible starts.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Plan a stop in bustling Cebu City to visit the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu and Magellan’s Cross Pavilion—cultural cornerstones that paved the way to the propagation of Christianity as the country’s most dominant religion.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond its central role in the Oscar-winning film, Pondicherry is known within India for housing one of the country’s best ophthalmological institutes, the Aravind Eye Hospital.—
Srinidhi Polkampally,
STAT,
8 Apr. 2026
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This work, which advances quantum technologies, also involved other European institutes, including the University of Basel, Lund University, and ETH Zurich.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing the rafts that groups of migrants have to inflate and carry to the water.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Still, health experts and groups including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology argue that creating a tobacco-free generation could dramatically reduce preventable deaths and secure a healthier future for today’s children and future generations.—
Marie Helweg-Larsen,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the bedrocks of Bednar’s coaching philosophy is breaking the season into 10-game segments.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Better yet, those bedrocks are as plentiful as ever.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Plans for the museum eventually were combined with a parallel effort to move the state history museum from the Capitol grounds, with the complex opening in 2017.—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
This, and the hospital’s security, had been a point of contention in recent years after a number of assaults on staff and forensic patients (usually kept there through the courts) escaping the hospital grounds, requiring a police response.—
Peter Currier,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundations. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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