1
as in supported
to lie underneath
A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.
Related Words
Relevance
2
as in grounded
to form the basis or foundation of (something, such as an idea)
The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of underlay
There are still cheerleaders who say H.W. and Clinton’s top-tax-rate increases underlay the 1990s boom and budget surpluses.
—
Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
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
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
Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
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
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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Rosen has voiced frustration with the prospect of having supported Measure A and still bracing for heavy cuts to his office.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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To address this problem, Hint has worked to reframe astrology not as fortune-telling, but emotional pattern recognition supported by astronomical data and artificial intelligence (AI) personalization.—
Felysha Walker,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Earlier empiricists like Locke and Francis Bacon believed that the physical sciences should still be grounded partly in metaphysical belief.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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But the two people who discussed sensitive details on condition of anonymity said the FAA grounded every aircraft in the El Paso area over concerns about the safety of the laser system being used near commercial planes.—
Josh Funk,
Fortune,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its intent was upheld in a series of legal challenges to the Legislature’s redistricting in 2012.—
Michael Van Sickler,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Any plan that begins and ends with Lower Basin cutbacks, those states have said, is likely to trigger a lawsuit aimed at ensuring the compact is upheld.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Loro Piana in 1997 established the annual Record Bale Award, driving his and the brand’s quest for increasingly finer merino wool fibers every year.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
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In their place Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner have established themselves as the kings of the court, and the rest of the world consistently isn’t in their sphere.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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,
14 Feb. 2026
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The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on several factors, including the number of people filing.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These experiences reinforced my belief in personal responsibility and fair contracts—values that drive my platform to eliminate property taxes and unleash freedom for Texans.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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More off days for Altuve is another possibility — one that could be reinforced if the Astros do carry their current infield surplus into the season.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the graph below shows, his Chelsea side played a high-intensity style predicated on suffocating the opposition far up the pitch and turning high possession regains into quality chances.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
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This is predicated on the bedrock principle that boards of directors are entrusted to oversee management of companies and are best equipped to decide how to balance company objectives, not single-purpose organizations who see everything through a narrow, black or white decision-making prism.—
Robert Profusek,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlay. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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