undergirding

verb

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 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29 July 2026 Beyond the commercial aspect, the assumptions undergirding death positivity have begun to feel nearly as outdated as putting lipstick on a corpse.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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
  1. sustaining
  2. supporting
  3. carrying
  4. bolstering
  5. underpinning
  6. upholding
Verb
  • Senior local official Dagnachew Azbite told the BBC that seven people had been found injured, with five of the victims sustaining serious injuries.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Injury news Cristobal also announced Tuesday that tight end Luka Gilbert is out for the season after sustaining an injury at home over the offseason.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sustaining
Verb
  • Campbell is another newcomer with only one previous credit, a supporting role in the 2025 drama Late Fame, starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Friends of the Orland Park Public Library is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers who are dedicated to supporting the library through advocacy and raising money.
    — Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporting
Verb
  • Churchill Downs races will be televised on NBC with Fox carrying the New York racing television coverage.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The last flight carrying 146 Venezuelans landed in Venezuela just hours before the disaster struck.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of carrying
Verb
  • Martin’s lab has shown that metals can replace biological enzymes in many basic metabolic processes, bolstering the case.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The revision reflects a bevy of fundamental, technical and historical factors bolstering the market, according to CFRA.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of bolstering
Verb
  • Earnings are booming A strong earnings backdrop was already underpinning the bull case for many investors this year, but the second quarter results have been positively explosive.
    — Alex Harring,Sean Conlon,Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Its power comes from the base material underpinning the menu – masa, lovingly made by owner and chef Emmanuel Galvan.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of underpinning
Verb
  • The county executive’s chartered responsibilities include overseeing the county’s municipal departments, correcting errors in tax assessments, executing certain contracts, upholding the county charter and representing the county in general.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There are plenty of people who don't agree with the NCAA upholding a suspension, and the Tennessee administration is high on the list.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of upholding

Browse Nearby Words

undergirded
undergirding
undergirds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All