as in sustained
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the central beliefs that underpin a free society
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Recent Examples of underpinned
Freedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
Over the past few decades, China's transformation into a manufacturing superpower was underpinned by booming construction of homes, office buildings, roads, ports and railways.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Because traditional communities know who their experts are, specialization and collaboration have consistently underpinned human success as a species.
—R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
Economic lifeline — and leverage The security relationship between Havana and Caracas was underpinned by massive economic subsidies.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
But Forest’s fate may be decided by the manager’s ability to instil the ruthlessness that underpinned their heroics under Nuno Espirito Santo, too.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The building is designed in a neo-futuristic style, an avant-garde aesthetic often underpinned by the use of world-class technology and a rethinking of both the form and function of developments.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Feb. 2026
Beyond scale and efficiency, BIAC’s success is underpinned by a long-term commitment to its people.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 11 Feb. 2026
Enterprise software remains deeply embedded across the corporate landscape, underpinned by multi-year contracts and high switching costs that provide a significant buffer against near-term displacement.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
Over the past few decades, China's transformation into a manufacturing superpower was underpinned by booming construction of homes, office buildings, roads, ports and railways.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Because traditional communities know who their experts are, specialization and collaboration have consistently underpinned human success as a species.
—R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
Economic lifeline — and leverage The security relationship between Havana and Caracas was underpinned by massive economic subsidies.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
But Forest’s fate may be decided by the manager’s ability to instil the ruthlessness that underpinned their heroics under Nuno Espirito Santo, too.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The building is designed in a neo-futuristic style, an avant-garde aesthetic often underpinned by the use of world-class technology and a rethinking of both the form and function of developments.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Feb. 2026
Beyond scale and efficiency, BIAC’s success is underpinned by a long-term commitment to its people.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 11 Feb. 2026
Enterprise software remains deeply embedded across the corporate landscape, underpinned by multi-year contracts and high switching costs that provide a significant buffer against near-term displacement.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinned
Verb
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The latest incidents come after three separate vessels sustained damage in Gulf waters on Wednesday and as Iran warns oil prices could climb to $200 a barrel.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The conflict has kept ships that carry millions of barrels of oil a day stranded in the Persian Gulf, and key Middle East facilities have sustained damage, reports the Associated Press.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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This blast could come to define Puerto Rico’s identity in this iteration of the WBC as a scrappy underdog bolstered by staunch pitching and clutch hits, especially if its 2-0 advantage here turns into a title game berth for another chance at the island’s first championship.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some of the more seasoned staff, including and especially the indefatigable charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), remember the days before everyone carried an iPad well enough to keep things moving.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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As the driver took off, the frantic mother carried her son back inside the hospital, where teams of doctors performed chest compressions and other rescue efforts, but failed to save him.—
Dave Carlin,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trustee Andrea McElroy supported the move while speaking about bike safety at a special Board of Education meeting last December.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Together, the system supported up to 222 spatial modes entering a single multimode fiber.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Tokyo High Court has upheld a decision to dissolve the Unification Church, a controversial religious organisation linked with the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
5 Mar. 2026
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Last July that court decided to vacate the theft of federal programs convictions but upheld the wire fraud convictions.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underpinned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinned. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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