ROOTS Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

roots 1 of 2

noun

plural of root

as in sources

a point or place at which something is invented or provided he insists that insecurity is the root of all jealousy

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Relevance

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

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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

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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

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roots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of root

as in embeds

to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter rooted the post securely in the dirt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of roots

Noun

The Buffalo Rose Saloon (Golden) Located in the heart of downtown Golden, the buildings that house The Buffalo Rose events complex have roots that are as old as the city itself. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 July 2026 In keeping with its sister business, Trophy Club will dig deep into its golf roots. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026 Pulling the hair back at the roots creates a tightening effect, smoothing out facial features, revealing the face, and giving a fresher appearance. — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 July 2026 Gilroy’s multi-ethnic roots, however, begin at its inception, when Scotsman John Gilroy became the first English-speaking settler of California, married Maria Clara Ortega – the daughter of a Spanish rancher, and then became a Mexican citizen. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026 Amigoni can’t import all of his ingredients directly from Italy — that’d be too pricey — though some of his base distributors work out of Italy or have Italian roots. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 Watering early in the morning reduces evaporation and keeps roots healthy through the hottest hours of the day. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026 Most are caused by tree roots pushing the concrete sidewalk out of place. — Katie Nielsen, CBS News, 30 July 2026 The dessert itself, however, has roots dating back to ancient Greece. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 30 July 2026

Verb

Instead, Nowell roots the band’s sound in the mid-’90s and keeps his vocal mannerisms as close to Bradley’s as possible. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026 Cousteau roots his pitch in economics. — Justin Worland, Time, 28 May 2026 This is a high-spirited opening for curious neighbors and travelers alike, with a mischievous sense of fun that firmly roots guests in their destination. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 Louisiana dirty rice is a tasty meat-and-rice dish that roots its flavor in aromatic Cajun seasoning and the holy trinity vegetables. — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026 For Pritchard, whose Stanford roots date back to 2005, the chance to return as head coach was both emotional and deeply personal. — Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025 Natural rock formations rise through the living room floor, a detail that roots the design in the hillside itself, and a full renovation of an existing home brought it in line with the style of the main house while still maintaining its own identity. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025 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 As well, his longstanding appreciation of country music roots his art in respect and reverence of the genre's history. — Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Mar. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roots

Noun

Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot Sunday night at their home in Virginia, sources confirmed to The Star.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
At scale, human annotation teams produce varying quality across data sources.

— Lucas Zhao, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of sources

Noun

The author's personal journey highlights how ruthless prioritization, risk management, and resourcefulness, born from necessity, became foundations for financial stability.

— Kristin Vance Richards, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Galileo opens new horizons, while mercantilism lays the foundations of capitalism.

— Ed Meza, Variety, 28 July 2026

Definition of foundations

Noun

And now, the best toner pads have joined the other post-cleanse staples, including face essences and milky toners, to amplify the effects of your skin-care routine and deliver additional layers of hydration to skin.

— Deanna Pai, Vogue, 27 July 2026
In general, Daosist alchemy is understood as distilling elements of the world into potent spiritual essences.

— Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

Definition of essences

Verb

Earlier this month, the company launched Frontier Company, a new division that embeds 6,000 industry and engineering experts directly inside customer organizations to co-design and deploy AI systems, according to Microsoft's own announcement.

— TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
The shim also embeds the policy so enforcement doesn’t rely exclusively on the external variable.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2026

Definition of embeds

Noun

The evening ritual is a sweet hat tip to the property’s beginnings—more on that below.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
Astrologically, solar eclipses are equivalent to a super potent new moon, and are often associated with new beginnings, redirections and chapters that continue developing over time.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Definition of beginnings

Noun

Athletics The Athletics are led by DH Brent Rooker, who hit 39 homers and stole 11 bases last year, and right fielder Lawrence Butler, an emerging star who added 22 homers and 18 steals.

— Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Washington Nationals The Nationals should take the next step forward as their young nucleus, led by shortstop CJ Abrams, who hit 20 homers and stole 31 bases last year, continues to develop and improve.

— Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025