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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Investigators determined the victim was Edgar Carlos Garcia, then 39, of Mexico, who died after sustaining fatal injuries during an altercation that took place inside the warehouse.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
-
After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.—
Ray Campos,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
All proceeds to the sell-out show, which was simulcast on ESPN, benefited the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the MSG non-profit supporting children in need.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
20 June 2026
-
Infantry attempting to move along the front, vehicle convoys transporting supplies, command posts coordinating operations, and artillery units supporting assaults are increasingly vulnerable to Ukrainian drone operators who can identify and strike targets with unprecedented speed and precision.—
Hunter LaCroix,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The targeting led the Russians to use an alternative route, according to the Ukrainian military, with a large number of trucks carrying military supplies sent further west.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
So my whole upbringing was hiding and carrying this huge weight and secret.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Further bolstering the country as a prime location is the new Olivewood Film Studios, located in Amman.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
City officials approved an agreement underpinning the massive plan in 2022, around the same time that Victory — then pitched in a different form as Seasons on the Bench — took shape on farmland next door.—
Mark Dee
June 10,
Idaho Statesman,
10 June 2026
-
The vision underpinning the project reflects Karmitz’s belief that cinemas should serve as antidotes to digital isolation.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a rights group that advocates for Haitians immigrants, urged the Supreme Court to reject the government’s ask to end TPS and affirm lower court’s rulings upholding the protections.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
Almost every line feels like a dare to consider a deeper meaning than the mad realities of the gold rush and upholding a dying man’s wish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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