as in sustained
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology
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Recent Examples of undergirded
The frontier myth undergirded their policies.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
In the summer of 2020, massive riots erupted over the murder of George Floyd, undergirded by a powerful social justice movement.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Hungarian Conceptual artist Dóra Maurer, whose fascination with movement and change undergirded a diverse practice marked by bright hues, simple shapes, and uninhibited experimentation, died on February 14.
—News Desk, Artforum, 22 Feb. 2026
Her wacky asides, undergirded by a subtle poignancy, both gave Guffman a zany edge and helped transform the mockumentary genre itself.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet his empire of quiet is undergirded by unease.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
This includes the inherently exploitative nature of apparel production that is undergirded by unequal power dynamics between the global North and the global South.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Mamdani sailed to victory in the New York City mayor’s race, first in the primary, then in the general election, on a platform of affordability undergirded by good old-fashioned class warfare.
—Abby Phillip, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Some might say the new Aurora Regional Navigation Campus that opened recently in a former 255-room hotel is undergirded by one of humanity’s seven deadly sins — envy.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
In the summer of 2020, massive riots erupted over the murder of George Floyd, undergirded by a powerful social justice movement.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
Hungarian Conceptual artist Dóra Maurer, whose fascination with movement and change undergirded a diverse practice marked by bright hues, simple shapes, and uninhibited experimentation, died on February 14.
—News Desk, Artforum, 22 Feb. 2026
Her wacky asides, undergirded by a subtle poignancy, both gave Guffman a zany edge and helped transform the mockumentary genre itself.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet his empire of quiet is undergirded by unease.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
This includes the inherently exploitative nature of apparel production that is undergirded by unequal power dynamics between the global North and the global South.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Mamdani sailed to victory in the New York City mayor’s race, first in the primary, then in the general election, on a platform of affordability undergirded by good old-fashioned class warfare.
—Abby Phillip, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Some might say the new Aurora Regional Navigation Campus that opened recently in a former 255-room hotel is undergirded by one of humanity’s seven deadly sins — envy.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirded
Verb
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An 11-year-old girl in Bahrain sustained minor wounds in an Iranian attack on Thursday, officials said.—
Arpita Dasika,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
-
Police have not publicly identified any of the victims injured in the shooting, but said 12 people sustained gunshot wounds.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Now, their argument is also bolstered by the fact that Lake Powell is emptying — whether Colorado River managers like it or not.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
The Atlanta Braves have bolstered their depth at catcher by acquiring veteran Austin Wynns from the Los Angeles Angels.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
His new doctrine fueled a decades-long war – one that ultimately carried the communist movement to victory and state power in Beijing in 1949.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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The Rockies’ Kyle Karros hit an opposite-field line drive that carried to the right-field warning track, but Lee tracked down the potential extra-base hit on the run, then crashed into the chain-link portion of the fence.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The effort, led by Mitchell, was also supported by a coalition of medical clinics, labor unions and physician groups.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
These fire regimes supported the humans dependent on meat, the mammals dependent on early-successional browse and grass, and the plants dependent on fire and light.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Vegas coach John Tortorella challenged the call, but it was upheld after a video review.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
6 June 2026
-
The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the criminally negligent homicide convictions on June 4, but upheld Cichuniec's separate conviction for second-degree felony assault.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undergirded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirded. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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