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
Cryptography underlies everyday financial transactions and online communication, not just spy messages.
—
Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025
Jinga further noted that as Dexory continues to improve the technology that underlies DexoryView, existing customers will benefit from the upgrades and new customers will see faster deployments and quicker return on investment.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
Soil acidity also comes from what is called the parent material — the bedrock that underlies the soil.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Curt Anderson, Broomfield The principle of humility underlies the constitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of the press.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Notably, this same mechanism underlies cocaine’s effects, highlighting its potency.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Protein aggregation underlies devastating disorders such as Alzheimer’s plaques, Parkinson’s Lewy bodies, and misfolded proteins in cancer.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Dysfunctional lipid storage underlies a wide range of health conditions, with obesity and diabetes just two of them.
—New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2025
The idea that the past is the key to the present underlies all sciences that deal with time, such as geology, evolutionary biology, and ecology.
—Ellen Wohl
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025
Jinga further noted that as Dexory continues to improve the technology that underlies DexoryView, existing customers will benefit from the upgrades and new customers will see faster deployments and quicker return on investment.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
Soil acidity also comes from what is called the parent material — the bedrock that underlies the soil.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Curt Anderson, Broomfield The principle of humility underlies the constitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of the press.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Notably, this same mechanism underlies cocaine’s effects, highlighting its potency.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Protein aggregation underlies devastating disorders such as Alzheimer’s plaques, Parkinson’s Lewy bodies, and misfolded proteins in cancer.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Dysfunctional lipid storage underlies a wide range of health conditions, with obesity and diabetes just two of them.
—New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2025
The idea that the past is the key to the present underlies all sciences that deal with time, such as geology, evolutionary biology, and ecology.
—Ellen Wohl
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlies
Verb
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Landau understands and supports not just Bruce’s vision but Bruce himself, which is how Nebraska, so bleak and bewitching, eventually emerges into the world.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
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One where technology quietly supports independence, rather than defines it.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Architecture of Imagination While Green Crew grounds climate mental health in action, and CPA-NA reframes it in psychology, the Lumisphere Experience is helping people reclaim their imaginations.—
Melissa Jun Rowley,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
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In this Mutable sign, Saturn grounds your curiosity and wonder, asking you to turn your beliefs into something tangible and reliable.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On top of everything, Sakura Fujirawa's music establishes a fluid rhythm, all while dialogue is completely absent.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This provision establishes a new, permanent, dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $1,700 for individuals for donations to non-profit scholarship-granting organizations, according to the letters.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If the death of Cinna is a microcosm of the play, the other moment that reinforces the importance of due process in Julius Caesar is even more compressed, lasting a mere eight lines at the start of the fourth act.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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The decision reinforces due process protections for immigrants and citizens alike, curbing warrantless arrests and asserting that even federal agents must answer to the same legal standards they are sworn to uphold.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, kwn points to Kehlani while Kehlani rests an arm on kwn’s shoulder.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
29 Oct. 2025
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That argument rests on the fact that the scale includes not just category numbers and wind speeds but also notes about what kind of damage to expect from those winds.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Social Security Administration bases its COLA each year on average annual increases in the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) from July through September.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Kentucky currently bases its energy standards on codes from 2009, and a state task force has met throughout this year to consider updates.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underlies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlies. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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