undergirding

present participle of undergird
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 undergirding This week, Ars hosted a live discussion with Ross Scott about the Stop Killing Games movement and its ongoing efforts to ensure that games remain playable even after the original publisher shuts down the online servers undergirding them. Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026 The gain helps cement Microsoft’s Azure as a leading cloud giant behind Amazon Web Services, and as one of the most prominent providers of the infrastructure undergirding the AI era. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 29 July 2026 Beyond the commercial aspect, the assumptions undergirding death positivity have begun to feel nearly as outdated as putting lipstick on a corpse. John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 But for hardcore believers, this didn’t mean that the philosophy undergirding the Soviet experiment was wrong. Literary Hub, 21 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
Verb
  • Still, the Sky have not earned a reputation for sustaining a system from year to year — and the status of the remaining roster does not lend itself to a building process for the Sky.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Trey Moore, who had emerged as a front-runner to start at linebacker for the Dolphins, will be out awhile after sustaining an ankle injury during Saturday’s 26-3 preseason loss to the Giants.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The bridge’s 22 piers were seismically retrofitted from the water upward in 2002, but the underwater infrastructure supporting the piers hasn’t been renovated or upgraded since the bridge opened to traffic in 1969.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Fewer workers are splitting the cost of supporting a larger, longer-living retired population.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Today, many of those same routes have found a second life, carrying travelers through some of the West’s most spectacular scenery while offering a glimpse into Colorado’s storied past.
    Jocelyn Rowley, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Guidance includes carrying ample water and supplies, checking road and weather conditions in advance and taking an alternative means of communication, such as a satellite communicator or emergency beacon.
    Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The county brought the team to continue bolstering A Home for All’s work.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The World Bank has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into grants for modernizing the Syrian financial sector, restoring water access, and bolstering its healthcare system.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Still, the economic particulars underpinning this needless antagonism essentially are beside the point.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The debacle has cast light on the various ways in which leverage is increasingly underpinning the wider AI boom.
    Hugh Leask, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • During the May 21 vote, many board members lamented that their hands were tied by state law and a 3rd District Appellate Court ruling upholding the state’s solar siting regulations.
    Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • His appeals were rejected in 2016 by a Supreme Court decision upholding the death penalty.
    CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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