Synonyms of roots

roots 1 of 2

noun

plural of root

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

• sources
• origins
• cradles
• fountains
• beginnings
• springs
• fonts
• wellsprings
• wells
• fountainheads
• seedbeds
• commencements
• geneses
• starts
• inceptions
• incipiencies
• outsets
• kickoffs
• baselines
• day ones
• thresholds
• launches
• incipiences
• nascencies
• first bases
• onsets
• ground zeros
• nascences
• dawns
• square ones
• get-goes
• mornings

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

• origins
• beginnings
• seed
• germs
• starts
• geneses
• seedbeds
• originations
• fonts
• fountainheads
• fountains
• springs
• wells
• wellsprings
• inceptions
• launches
• wellheads
• commencements
• births
• thresholds
• onsets
• dawns
• inaugurations
• creations
• incipiencies
• outsets
• mornings

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

• foundations
• bases
• bases
• cornerstones
• bedrocks
• grounds
• underpinnings
• keystones
• warps
• footings
• premises
• theories
• shores
• essences
• bottoms
• groundworks
• cores
• warp and woofs
• foci
• assumptions
• substrata
• kernels
• supports
• frameworks
• hearts
• justifications
• backbones
• beds
• infrastructures
• props
• presumptions
• buttresses
• substructures
• centers
• presuppositions
• stays
• mounts
• braces
• theses
• bulwarks
• warrants
• anchorages
• nuclei
• rationales
• touchstones
• hubs
• suppositions
• seats
• eyes
• souls
• quintessences

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

• essences
• hearts
• kernels
• cores
• points
• meats
• sums
• nuclei
• bottom lines
• themes
• nubs
• subjects
• pivots
• nets
• piths
• nubbins
• centerpieces
• meat and potatoes
• gists
• directions
• substances
• cruxes
• keynotes
• contents
• tenors
• bull's-eyes
• bodies
• courses
• drifts
• hypotheses
• theses
• propositions
• purports

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• embeds
• lodges
• beds
• places
• impacts
• implants
• entrenches
• sticks
• enroots
• puts
• ingrains
• fixes
• infuses
• drives (into)
• establishes
• beats (into)
• instills
• imbues
• settles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• roots (out)
• eliminates
• uproots
• dislodges
• removes
• eradicates
• expels
• disconnects
• ejects
• detaches
• disengages

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of roots

Noun

While its roots go back to Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood in the 1930s, tiki culture blossomed after World War II, when American soldiers came back from the Pacific theater with stories of tropical islands. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026

The iconic convenience store chain anchored in the East has roots that stretch back to a Pennsylvania dairy store in 1902. — Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

But there is something more here, namely where Leela’s family sits on the societal structure in the land of her roots. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

Southwest’s bizarre seat assignments and enforcement policies may have had operational roots, but customers assumed the worst. — Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Miami roots Brown’s family moved from the small town of Fitzgerald, Georgia, to Liberty City in the 1950s. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

Some of these garments were created by designers who were referencing their own Greek roots, among them Jean Dessès, Dimitra Petsa, Sophia Kokosalaki, and Mary Katrantzou. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 July 2026

Water deeply and infrequently in the morning to encourage stronger roots and reduce evaporation. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 16 July 2026

Monaco was the first place Djokovic put down roots outside of Serbia. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 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