1
as in source
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
he insists that insecurity is the root of all jealousy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in origin
the source from which something grows or develops
one would need to go back at least several hundred years to find the root of the entrenched hostility between the neighboring nations
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in foundation
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
an implicit trust in the wisdom of the people is the root of democracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in core
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
at root, it's a question of the proper limits, if any, of free speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to embed
to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter
rooted the post securely in the dirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of root
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Robert’s large property borders a clear cut — a clearing where a pine thicket had been cut down in the summer of 2009 — leaving behind a mess of tree stumps and roots.
—Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Her original fan club kept rooting and cheering for her the entire time.
—Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for root
Noun
Nourish your roots, and tomorrow’s work should feel easier!
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Robert’s large property borders a clear cut — a clearing where a pine thicket had been cut down in the summer of 2009 — leaving behind a mess of tree stumps and roots.
—Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Powell remained after that contest to root on Heat teammate Keshad Johnson, who then won the All-Star dunk contest.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Her original fan club kept rooting and cheering for her the entire time.
—Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for root
Recent Examples of Synonyms for root
Noun
-
Counties would have five years to repay the loans, and would also have to pledge a source of revenue in the event FEMA didn't reimburse the funding.—
ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
That approach lowers costs at the source, keeps families in the district, and restores real ownership instead of treating homeownership like a recurring tax base for government.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Military and dual-use AI capabilities, many with commercial origins, are being tested and deployed.—
Jared Cohen,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Soma, a young woman who is searching for her own origins.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For the next head coach, roster retention will be critical as the Falcons look to build continuity and reset the foundation of the program.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
These flourishes are individually masterful, and lead to extended scenes that become hard to look away from, even though the doc as a whole doesn’t quite construct the strongest narrative foundations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Then, about four to five billion years later, our Sun will run out of hydrogen fuel in its core, evolving into a red giant.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
For short-term rentals, check out the Historic District or find more affordable options in the Midtown area or other neighborhoods a little farther out from the city’s core.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The brand collaborated with Shanghai Animation Film Studio, a cultural institution deeply embedded in collective memory, to reinterpret The Little Horse Crosses the River, a fable familiar to generations of Chinese audiences.—
Yiling Pan,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In this view, even students who might disagree with their radical professors will eventually succumb to progressive politics because it is embedded in every part of campus life.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lamu, Kenya Sitting in the Indian Ocean to the northeast of the Kenyan mainland, Lamu is one of the cradles of Swahili culture.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In other words, while the Democratic brand continued to flatline, the autopsy itself was declared dead in the cradle—this despite DNC officials having conducted more than 300 interviews and Martin having previously called the autopsy a crucial exercise.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the picture, baby Elvis is wearing a battered but jaunty felt hat, the sunshine center of a family that also, at the beginning, had nothing.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The opening run of tracks is everything that critics have thrown at them from the beginning.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
Pitchfork,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An additional 74 positions would see reductions in hours or pay basis.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Root.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/root. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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