as in foundation
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
they had collectively laid the groundwork for a new kind of art
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Recent Examples of groundwork
Ultimately, a third, more cautious alternatives involves developing a small, under one kWe, radioisotope power system, in order to establish regulatory frameworks and technical groundwork before scaling.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Roma came close to the top win, in fact — arguably laying the groundwork for the Parasite phenomenon that came the next year, when Bong Joon Ho’s Korean satire, steered by Neon, defied the odds as the first non-English-language film to ever win best picture.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
As Black Mountain has worked through the city’s red tape in Fort Worth, the developer also appears to be laying the groundwork for more data centers in North Texas.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
The production explores the early lives of characters familiar to fans of the series, while laying groundwork that connects directly to the events of the television show, including its fifth and final season.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groundwork
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Roma came close to the top win, in fact — arguably laying the groundwork for the Parasite phenomenon that came the next year, when Bong Joon Ho’s Korean satire, steered by Neon, defied the odds as the first non-English-language film to ever win best picture.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
As Black Mountain has worked through the city’s red tape in Fort Worth, the developer also appears to be laying the groundwork for more data centers in North Texas.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
The production explores the early lives of characters familiar to fans of the series, while laying groundwork that connects directly to the events of the television show, including its fifth and final season.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groundwork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for groundwork
Noun
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His hands-on experience, combined with his academic background (PhD and DBA), has formed the foundation of his particular coaching style.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Since 2020, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has invested $41 million into the ThriveOn King building, grants to neighborhood nonprofits and small business loans to entrepreneurs located in the corridor, according to Jeremy Podolski, a spokesperson for the foundation.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An additional 74 positions would see reductions in hours or pay basis.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Prior to Wednesday, speculators had been fairly balanced in their view of whether a 25-basis-point cut would come at the FOMC’s next meeting in March, giving it a probability of around 40%, per CME’s FedWatch barometer.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Connock hopes the Swedish and Italian versions will follow suit and The 1% Club can similarly become a schedule cornerstone.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
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But defense spending — a cornerstone of the package — could fall short of the ambitious ramp-up this year, a Goldman Sachs note says.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Take customer feedback programs, which are the bedrock of customer experience.—
Brad Anderson,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Election integrity is the bedrock of our republic— without secure and trustworthy elections, public confidence erodes and our democracy is undermined.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Groundwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groundwork. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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