1
as in supports
to lie underneath
A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.
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2
as in grounds
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 underlies
And the Nazca plate, which underlies the eastern Pacific Ocean, also shapes the area’s tectonic scene.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2026
As the climate warms, permafrost – frozen rock and soil – which underlies the island, thaws.
—Paul Bierman, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Continue to build the foundation that underlies your life.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
The invalidation of Crown grants underlies the Cowichan outcome.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025
Permafrost thaw is turning rivers orange As permafrost – the frozen ground that underlies much of the Arctic – continues its long-term warming and thaw, one emerging consequence is the spread of rusting rivers.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Some Make America Healthy Again advocates, who are often vaccine skeptics, would like to see the program eliminated; others want to see changes as part of a broader push to tie vaccines to autism, a key myth that underlies MAHA.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
This principle underlies initiatives such as the WFP’s debt-swap approach to food security, which has implemented food-for-education programs in Egypt and Mozambique.
—Arif Husain, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2025
Hofstadter argued that the same process underlies more abstract kinds of perception.
—James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2026
As the climate warms, permafrost – frozen rock and soil – which underlies the island, thaws.
—Paul Bierman, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Continue to build the foundation that underlies your life.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
The invalidation of Crown grants underlies the Cowichan outcome.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025
Permafrost thaw is turning rivers orange As permafrost – the frozen ground that underlies much of the Arctic – continues its long-term warming and thaw, one emerging consequence is the spread of rusting rivers.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Some Make America Healthy Again advocates, who are often vaccine skeptics, would like to see the program eliminated; others want to see changes as part of a broader push to tie vaccines to autism, a key myth that underlies MAHA.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
This principle underlies initiatives such as the WFP’s debt-swap approach to food security, which has implemented food-for-education programs in Egypt and Mozambique.
—Arif Husain, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2025
Hofstadter argued that the same process underlies more abstract kinds of perception.
—James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlies
Verb
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Parents are encouraged to participate in their baby’s care through techniques like kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact), which helps stabilize vital signs and supports development.—
MemorialCare Medical Group,
Oc Register,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Beyond still photography, the sensor supports 8K video recording at 30 frames per second.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This insistence on the genre as a thriving subculture, not yet relegated to graffitied-over plaques of scenes-once-prosperous, grounds the ethos of the joint, which hosts a constant rotation of some of the most exciting combos in New York.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
2 Jan. 2026
-
This grounds all that emotion into something practical.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This opening scene establishes a human, forgiving tone for a movie in which we are often encouraged to laugh with our heroes but never at them.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
First, a catalyst guides the molecule through an asymmetric step that establishes its chirality.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The word edgy is often mistakenly applied to comedians whose work just reinforces conventional opinions and prejudices with extra swear words.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
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This concentration of attractions reinforces Charlotte’s position as the heart of American stock car racing.—
Bill Bootz,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The belief that the Maduro episode could be replicated in Iran also rests on a misleading comparison.—
Sanam Vakil,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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But according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the post-raid landscape, that assumption rests on dangerously fragile ground.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Audubon bases its count on the southern portion of Maine because there are enough bird counters to get a reliable number.—
Patrick Whittle,
Fortune,
14 Dec. 2025
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Further adding to the time saving, Toupin even bases his company office at the fast-developing Salado Airport in Texas, just 30 minutes north of Austin.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underlies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlies. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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