underlain

verb

past participle of underlie
1
as in supported
to lie underneath A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.

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2
as in grounded
to form the basis or foundation of (something, such as an idea) The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty.

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlain
  1. supported
  2. grounded
  3. upheld
  4. established
  5. carried
  6. based
  7. reinforced
  8. predicated
Verb
  • The demonstration marked the completion of the project’s first phase, supported by funding from the US Department of Energy.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The force, which rose to a peak of about 5,000 troops over the summer, has supported arrest operations, patrolled city streets and neighborhoods, and participated in cleanup efforts.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of supported
Verb
  • Max Muncy struck out to end the sixth, Mookie Betts grounded out to end the seventh and Teoscar Hernández struck out to close the eighth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The lustrous pink two-piece look was grounded by a matching pink shoe that continues the collaborative relationship between the rising avant-garde brand Matières Fécales and Christian Louboutin.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of grounded
Verb
  • The court has previously upheld this lethal injection protocol against similar challenges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The United States upheld the underlying security and economic order that made these offers possible.
    — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of upheld
Verb
  • Neither party appears to have established much credibility with independent voters on the issue.
    — Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The agency was established in 2021 to make sure electrical utilities work to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by their equipment.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of established
Verb
  • During captive-carry testing, engineers can assess equipment carried by an aircraft before proceeding to more demanding flight demonstrations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The starting five that carried Atlanta to the playoffs last season — Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum and Onyeka Okongwu — returns.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of carried
Verb
  • The platform is based on feedback from 700+ members across 40 states, co-founder Zamaan Qureshi said.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Ding was charged in 2024 with stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets from Google while secretly working with two companies based in China.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of based
Verb
  • Strong consumer interest reinforced the brand’s investment in brick-and-mortar retail, said Antoine Mothay, cofounder of Polène.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of reinforced
Verb
  • Their attempt was predicated on some amount of technology innovation.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Part of the Blue Island discourse was predicated on the language some Black artists sometimes use to express their frustration around their art being inaccurately labeled.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of predicated
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.

Browse Nearby Words

underhandedness
underlain
underlay
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Cite this Entry

“Underlain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlain. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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