underpins

verb

present tense third-person singular of underpin
as in sustains
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the central beliefs that underpin a free society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 underpins Yann LeCun won the 2018 Turing Award—computer science’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize—along with fellow AI researchers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio for their work on deep learning, the neural network technology that underpins today’s AI boom. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 Yet the structural refrain that underpins this wonder of a book always returns to love. — Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 Global demand for many of the minerals has soared in recent years due to their use in the energy transition or digital infrastructure that underpins AI. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Access to exceptional roughs underpins the entire collection. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026 It's based on the company's MQB platform, which underpins the T-Cross subcompact SUV and the Polo hatchback. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026 Bouaddi’s ability to dribble calmly through pressure underpins a more general swagger to his game. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Those who approach privacy as a strategic basis rather than an afterthought are the greatest enterprises and communities that capitalize on AI’s transformational promise while maintaining the digital trust that underpins modern life. — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Known as Eurasianism, this conviction in the fundamental difference between Russia and the West at least partly underpins the Kremlin’s ruling ideology today. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpins
  1. sustains
  2. supports
  3. carries
  4. bolsters
  5. upholds
Verb
  • The lake creates a temperate microclimate that sustains one of the country’s most productive fruit-growing regions—and makes this the best possible place to forget a packed lunch.
    — Mike Norton, Midwest Living, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The drifting middle needs a benefits program that sustains engagement and addresses shifting behaviors over time.
    — Neepa Patel, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sustains
Verb
  • The other half came from the Fund for Policy Reform, a nonprofit that’s part of Soros’ Open Society Foundations, which supports progressive organizations and whose board is chaired by his son, Alex Soros.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Pearlman supports campus efforts to create foundations for scholarships and lobbying Sacramento and Washington to keep funding, including student aid, at necessary levels.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of supports
Verb
  • Solomon Baggett paced the Arkansas State rushing attack, finishing with 63 yards on 13 carries.
    — Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Murray was limited to 33 yards on 16 carries against an inspired defense.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of carries
Verb
  • In Comfort, for example, digital displays take a backseat only presenting necessary intel, while Refresh fittingly bolsters interior air management and illumination.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the end, however, Missouri appears poised to use in November a map lawmakers passed in 2022, an extraordinary development that bolsters Cleaver’s chances of reelection and strikes a blow to Trump.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of bolsters
Verb
  • In February, President Pamela Whitten and the board of trustees supported and adopted the Chicago Principles, a set of guidelines regarding how the university upholds its free speech environment.
    — Cate Charron, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The letter was also sent to Harry and Meghan’s team and upholds Queen Elizabeth’s wishes when Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal roles in 2020.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of upholds

Browse Nearby Words

underpinnings
underpins
underplay
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpins. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All