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
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
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
So age has been something that's always been undergirding.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Even on tour, fans go expecting dramatic catharsis to be undergirding all that glee.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Stepping away from living things, Vellend finds this dynamic at work in the development of violins and typewriters, in the technologies undergirding ChatGPT, and in the spread of cultural values like individualism.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
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
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
So age has been something that's always been undergirding.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Even on tour, fans go expecting dramatic catharsis to be undergirding all that glee.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Stepping away from living things, Vellend finds this dynamic at work in the development of violins and typewriters, in the technologies undergirding ChatGPT, and in the spread of cultural values like individualism.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
Verb
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The study concluded with some recommendations, such as sustaining and expanding programs that work, engaging with with people who have experienced homelessness, identifying funding and supporting neighborhood safety and cleanliness.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Earlier this month, Varsity founder Jeff Webb died after sustaining a head injury while playing pickleball.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of the proceeds raised from the event went to supporting Altman's family.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
By his third hosting gig in 2014, he was joined onstage during his monologue by Leonardo DiCaprio, his co-star in the searing satire The Wolf of Wall Street, a Martin Scorsese picture that netted Hill his second Oscar nomination for best supporting actor after Moneyball just three years earlier.—
Josh Spiegel,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This current mission marks the first time the capsule is carrying a crew whose lives are on the line.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Come Friday, April 10, the Orion vehicle carrying the astronauts will zoom back into Earth's atmosphere before deploying parachutes to make a water landing in the Pacific Ocean near California.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The hike came as the company made moves to invest more heavily in live events, video podcasts and other novel content types, in addition to bolstering its existing TV and movie offerings.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
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The tariffs assessed to larger drug companies will take effect July 31 unless companies commit to price concessions and bolstering domestic manufacturing.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The attorney general is obsessed with the idea that laws underpinning equal treatment for groups that have been historically discriminated against amount to discrimination against white men, and are therefore unconstitutional.—
Howard L. Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
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China is the primary origin of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, a highly potent opioid underpinning a deadly drug epidemic in the United States.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Willy laments to his stout and thankless wife, Linda (Laurie Metcalf, upholding her reputation as a Broadway MVP), that buyers on the road laugh at him — that one even called him a shrimp.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
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This past December, a judge overturned Jordan’s conviction and acquitted him, while upholding the verdict against Washington.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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