as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supporting
to lie underneath
A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.
Related Words
2
as in grounding
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of underlying
Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
For Dusabejambo, there is a key underlying message of the film.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Daria Rudnik, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Treatment options depend on the underlying cause and may include lifestyle and diet changes and supplements.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for underlying
Adjective
The case forced the court to confront the underlying meaning of democracy.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
For Dusabejambo, there is a key underlying message of the film.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Verb
Over-automation can lead to complacency, where teams lose touch with underlying processes.
—Daria Rudnik, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Treatment options depend on the underlying cause and may include lifestyle and diet changes and supplements.
—Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for underlying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlying
Adjective
-
This simple decision loop repeats continuously, allowing the system to operate autonomously using only basic obstacle detection and directional comparison.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
-
Michael Negrón, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former White House economic adviser under President Joe Biden, says inflation tends to disproportionately hit the Latino community because a large share of their income goes toward basic necessities.—
Maria Santana,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Other bills could lead to new relief for small businesses in the future, with lawmakers endorsing the creation of studies and working groups that will look at things like supporting artificial intelligence use by small businesses and tourism.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Legal departments also use it for contract review against standard terms, analyzing negotiation language, processing large document sets for relevant arguments, and supporting intellectual property monitoring.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
That means grounding every AI effort in a clear priority.—
Katy George,
Time,
11 May 2026
-
After striking out and then grounding out in his first two at-bats against the Dodgers' star, the second baseman stepped to the dish in the bottom of the fifth inning with base runners on the corners.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
In West Texas, some locals were hopeful that the exigencies of life in a rural area, where recordkeeping can be rudimentary and property boundaries aren’t always clear, might stymie the project, at least for a little while.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Their earliest and biggest target has been Dax, a 32-year-old janitor-turned-rapper from Canada who spits overwrought motivational lyrics over rudimentary beats.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
To scale effectively, organizations often benefit from standardizing their foundations by establishing consistent frameworks for data modeling, pipeline design and testing—helping reduce friction while improving delivery velocity.—
Prashanthi Kolluru,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a strategic public-private partnership.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Learn about the hobby and this Chicago Park District program’s STEM offerings for elementary students.—
Jennifer Day,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Last month, an Orange County school district became the first to implement a ban on e-bikes for elementary and middle schoolers.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The memory underpinning those systems needs to hold up in one of the harshest environments imaginable.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
-
The robust reporting underpinning these characters gives Van Dyk a roadmap.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
In addiction treatment, encouraging emotional attachment to an algorithm risks reinforcing the very patterns of avoidance and substitution that sustain addiction.—
Steve D. Klein,
STAT,
14 May 2026
-
Measures seen as defensive in Tokyo or Manila are invariably interpreted in Beijing as offensive—reinforcing, rather than easing, cycles of suspicion.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlying. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
