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

Relevance

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 Ukrainians awoke on Wednesday to find that their military had been restricted in its use of Starshield, the American satellite service undergirding swaths of the nation’s defensive infrastructure and weaponry. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026 Gallego’s sweeping proposals certainly look like the policy engine undergirding a 2028 presidential campaign. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The paradox is at the heart of the magical thinking undergirding our prison culture. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026 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29 July 2026 Beyond the commercial aspect, the assumptions undergirding death positivity have begun to feel nearly as outdated as putting lipstick on a corpse.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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
Verb
  • Dieffenbach made the big play after sustaining an apparent leg injury on a hard hit late in the first half.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Rutgers starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan left after sustaining a blow to the head 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the first quarter and didn’t return.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The argument supporting Measure Z was signed by farmer Blair Voelz, educator Karen Rosenkilde Bayne, former Woodland City Manager Kris Kristensen, business leader Aniek Pflager and agricultural supplier Erik Wilson.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Following the meeting, Papin’s office said the state was committed to supporting businesses and that further measures would be announced shortly.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Mitchell Fairbarn was captured on surveillance video carrying the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo, Peachy, to his room after removing the bird from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.
    — Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The party recently named New Mexico as one of the earliest states for its next presidential primary, bolstering its prominence in national politics and ensuring more visits from White House hopefuls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • After bolstering the management of its fashion business, Kering is shaking up its creative director ranks, with the departure of Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent and Seán McGirr at Alexander McQueen.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The $56 million contract signals another step in the development of the industrial and technical framework underpinning AUKUS.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Both systems also offer high-speed connectivity because of the satellite technology underpinning them.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In April, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion upholding an arbitrator’s findings that the union may follow the card-signing process as a path to represent the workers.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Rubio visited Portugal a day after delivering a speech in the Greek capital, Athens, urging European countries to save Western civilization by upholding the values and traditions of ancient Greece.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster