1
as in sources
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 origins
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 foundations
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 essences
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 lodges
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 roots
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
The roots of my family tree are firmly established in the soil of Great Britain.
—Elizabeth Bass Parman, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Uranus’ retrograde in your zone of foundations and roots shakes you to your core!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
The director thrives on these kinds of connections, planting her themes like a tree whose roots spread deeper and wider as the movie progresses.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Bovino’s sense of mission never strayed from the Border Patrol’s roots.
—Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
The original redesign attempted to modernize their look and feel without fundamentally changing the brand’s comfort-food menu items and rural roots.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Workers will also trim trees or drive over roots, causing more damage, the lawsuit said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Susan Monarez, who noted her Wisconsin roots prior to her confirmation as head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 30, is out at the agency after less than a month on the job.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
For example, most types of turfgrass have short roots, and soil samples from lawns only need to be dug to a depth of 4 inches.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
The roots of my family tree are firmly established in the soil of Great Britain.
—Elizabeth Bass Parman, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Uranus’ retrograde in your zone of foundations and roots shakes you to your core!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
The director thrives on these kinds of connections, planting her themes like a tree whose roots spread deeper and wider as the movie progresses.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Bovino’s sense of mission never strayed from the Border Patrol’s roots.
—Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
The original redesign attempted to modernize their look and feel without fundamentally changing the brand’s comfort-food menu items and rural roots.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Workers will also trim trees or drive over roots, causing more damage, the lawsuit said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Susan Monarez, who noted her Wisconsin roots prior to her confirmation as head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 30, is out at the agency after less than a month on the job.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a strong culture, everyone roots their daily decisions in a desire to be in it to win it; there's a sense of ownership, pride and belonging.
—Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roots
Noun
-
And more than 60 million Americans rely on drinking water from rivers and aquifers whose sources are within national forests.—
Ryan Gellert,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The #Eagles’ trade for Tank Bigsby is in part due to a need for another kick returner, sources say.—
Matt Wadleigh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Fans will undoubtedly be thrilled to see the literal origins of Claire and Brian, both of whom are essential for bringing the original series story to pass.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The museum's origins Congress passed legislation to establish the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1962.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This is all thanks to Saturn retrograde and a total lunar eclipse in Pisces, activating your fourth house of home, family and emotional foundations.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Renovations cost about $324,000, which came from outside foundations and organizations, including Feeding San Diego.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, looking deep into these swirling cradles of planet formation has always been tricky.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Now on sale for less than $20, these pumpkin cradles are a simple but genius gardening hack that lifts squashes off the ground to prevent moisture build-up that can cause rot.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
As the sun was setting, hundreds of North Texans — many clad in black — gathered with candles and posters in their hands and solidarity in their hearts.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Michelle and Zooey are the perfect duo to bring this cinematic joyride to life—they’re both original, fearless comedians with huge hearts and a willingness to be funny on horseback.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of sitting in a chatbox, PromptQL embeds directly into enterprise processes like contracts, engineering, or procurement, so uncertainty flags and corrections appear exactly where the work is happening.—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
This technique embeds invisible commands inside the body of an email.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The show features flamethrowers, multi-colored fountains and lasers synchronized to inspiring scenes beamed onto a 36-storey hotel and three screens formed from fountains which fan out into a fine mist.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The new restroom building will have a surf shack theme and several all-gender toilets, as well as outdoor lavatories and drinking fountains.—
Steven Mihailovich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The beginnings of it are depicted in true disaster movie style, with ominous music and a collapsing electric pylon that causes a faulty cable to fall to the ground.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
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Here is the emphasis on the hardscrabble beginnings and obstacles to be overcome, here is the recognition of a truly raw but once-in-a-lifetime talent that converts the nonbelivers, here are the early wins and the training montages and the tragedies and the comebacks.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roots. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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