as in underground
being, situated, or operating beneath the surface of the earth
a sandy wasteland that gave little hint of its subsurface wealth
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Recent Examples of subsurface
Evaluation protocols of subsurface measurements and training of all rig site personnel have improved the drilling economics of this geothermal project.
—
Ian Palmer, Forbes, 19 May 2022
Shallow pools of subsurface water froze and fractured the surface again and again.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 22 Apr. 2022
This is an important scientific mission tasked with searching for ice at the south pole and using a one-meter drill to prospect for subsurface samples.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2022
So Marco Mastrogiuseppe, a researcher on the Cassini team who had used instruments like RADAR to map subsurface water on Mars, decided to try something.
—Liz Kruesi, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
See All Example Sentences for subsurface
Ian Palmer, Forbes, 19 May 2022
Shallow pools of subsurface water froze and fractured the surface again and again.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 22 Apr. 2022
This is an important scientific mission tasked with searching for ice at the south pole and using a one-meter drill to prospect for subsurface samples.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2022
So Marco Mastrogiuseppe, a researcher on the Cassini team who had used instruments like RADAR to map subsurface water on Mars, decided to try something.
—Liz Kruesi, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
See All Example Sentences for subsurface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subsurface
Adjective
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Reznik said while the San Gabriel River system and adjacent spreading grounds, stretching from Irwindale to Long Beach, work exceptionally well, capturing 90% of the local runoff that percolates into underground basins for later use, that’s not true of some other waterways in the county.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The film centres on Karampour’s reunion with her brother Siâvash, formerly a vocalist in an Iranian underground punk band now living in exile in New York.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Endangered amphibians in California include the desert slender salamander, a subterranean amphibian found in just two spots in Riverside County.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Take 25 Hours, in Long Island City, for example, which is freighted with a depressing ambience that is equal parts chemistry lab and subterranean grotto.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subsurface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subsurface. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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