as in sustaining
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 undergirding
But there are key threads undergirding it.
—
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026
OpenAI is at the heart of a web of deals undergirding the artificial intelligence boom that has helped power the entire stock market higher.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
In the early 2000s it was shown that there are at least 10500 different configurations of the six compact dimensions, each theoretically undergirding a universe with different properties.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
That fear, undergirding all of our hard work.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
Instruments drift in and out, sometimes accreting into subtle polyrhythms or harmonies, and other times lightly undergirding Ederra’s gorgeous runs.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
While profits boomed in the US, the rest of the world wasn’t shabby either, undergirding calls to diversify away from American stocks into megacaps in Asia and Europe.
—Michael Msika, Bloomberg, 1 Mar. 2026
Capital expenditures—capex, meaning the big-ticket purchases that fund the data centers, servers, and power infrastructure undergirding the AI race—is fueling record-high, multi-trillion dollar tech valuations when investors think the spending is warranted.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026
OpenAI is at the heart of a web of deals undergirding the artificial intelligence boom that has helped power the entire stock market higher.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
In the early 2000s it was shown that there are at least 10500 different configurations of the six compact dimensions, each theoretically undergirding a universe with different properties.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
That fear, undergirding all of our hard work.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
Instruments drift in and out, sometimes accreting into subtle polyrhythms or harmonies, and other times lightly undergirding Ederra’s gorgeous runs.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
While profits boomed in the US, the rest of the world wasn’t shabby either, undergirding calls to diversify away from American stocks into megacaps in Asia and Europe.
—Michael Msika, Bloomberg, 1 Mar. 2026
Capital expenditures—capex, meaning the big-ticket purchases that fund the data centers, servers, and power infrastructure undergirding the AI race—is fueling record-high, multi-trillion dollar tech valuations when investors think the spending is warranted.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
Verb
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Despite sustaining significant injuries, police said the couple was able to transport themselves to a local hospital.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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These graveyards form when whale carcasses fall to the sea floor, becoming a sustaining snack for nearby critters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Your 10th House of Career gains shine as beauty-loving Venus arrives, supporting confident polish and the power of understated presence.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
-
State initiatives aimed at supporting fusion research and commercialization have encouraged investment and collaboration, helping establish an ecosystem designed to accelerate technological breakthroughs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Papal aircraft have had technical problems in the past, but for a plane carrying the pope to be unable to take off is unheard of.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Long before kickoff between Mexico and South Africa, fans lined up outside the venue carrying flags, wearing jerseys and bringing noisemakers from home.—
J.M. Banks
June 12,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Adidas is bolstering its relationship with Nordstrom with the launch of a national retail partnership celebrating the FIFA World Cup 2026, the world’s largest sporting event and the first to be hosted in North America since 1994.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
-
Beijing, Iran’s largest trading partner and the main buyer of Iranian oil, has backed Pakistan, too, bolstering the country’s credibility even further.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
Verb
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To be sure, the bank's traders remain confident that the forces underpinning the stock market continue to be healthy, thanks to strong corporate earnings and an improving macroeconomy.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
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Applying terrorism designations to criminal syndicates, Brazilian officials say, conflicts with domestic legal definitions and risks blurring distinctions underpinning international counterterrorism law.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
There are no majorities for anything, least of all for upholding the rights of the freed slaves in the South.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
-
The murders of Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson On December 12, 1998, a 21-year-old Lee walked into Jimmy’s Pawn Shop in Orville, Alabama, according to a 2013 federal appeals ruling upholding his conviction and sentence.—
Nina Giraldo,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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