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
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Recent Examples of underlay
There was another story that underlay the peace negotiations, and that was the story of the love between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.
—
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024
The consumer welfare philosophy also underlay U.S. negotiations that resulted in international antitrust cooperation agreements and in competition chapters within bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
There are unresolved tensions in Williams’s script that could use some pressure, like the way Cephus’s seeming nostalgia exists alongside his acknowledgment of segregation, or how economic realities underlay his journey north (and only a deus ex machina allows his return to the South).
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2024
Another key part of the trick involves an appreciation of two psychological systems that underlay our decision making, as described by Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist and Nobel Prize-winner.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for underlay
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024
The consumer welfare philosophy also underlay U.S. negotiations that resulted in international antitrust cooperation agreements and in competition chapters within bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
There are unresolved tensions in Williams’s script that could use some pressure, like the way Cephus’s seeming nostalgia exists alongside his acknowledgment of segregation, or how economic realities underlay his journey north (and only a deus ex machina allows his return to the South).
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2024
Another key part of the trick involves an appreciation of two psychological systems that underlay our decision making, as described by Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist and Nobel Prize-winner.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for underlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlay
Verb
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How many voters supported, opposed Measure G In Nevada County, the largest portion of the library district, voters supported Measure G with by a 7-to-3 margin.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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That’s why, according to graphic designer and rebranding expert Gardner, the Wichita community overwhelmingly supported the new Redhawks mascot.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The following year, Ladd delivered a more grounded, but no less eccentric turn in Rambling Rose.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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While the full moon may have some mixed energies, with the planets crisscrossing in all sorts of ways, the key now is to focus on being grounded, balanced and centered as much as possible.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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These rulings have been upheld on appeal but remain under Supreme Court review, with oral arguments scheduled for November and a potential decision before the year’s end.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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For the most part, courts have upheld that states have the authority to ban campaign speech in the polling place but often strike down the statute involved as being too vague.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If successful, Proposition 50 would ditch a nonpartisan commission California voters established via a 2010 ballot initiative that draws those district boundaries.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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After joining Harvard’s faculty, Morgan established the Hip Hop Archive and Research Institute in 2007, recognizing the genre’s deep intellectual and cultural value at a time when few in academia did.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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James had known Gjoshe for close to a decade and has retained a link by allowing the young full-back to oversee sessions at the Nigel James Elite Coaching academy, based in Wimbledon, south London.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the material world, this company reinforced the wall blocking every path to climate stabilization.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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China’s most powerful Communist leader in decades has built a reputation reinforced by state media during his 12-year rule as a serious and steady hand.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Still, the crux of the alliance between Washington and Seoul is predicated on deterring Pyongyang’s aggression, Hegseth said, who earlier in the week visited the Demilitarized Zone on the border with North Korea.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
4 Nov. 2025
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But all of these tropes, from the beard to the villain, are predicated on the idea that sexuality and desire are always legible on the body.—
Kelly Foster Lundquist,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlay. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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