Thesaurus results for UNDERPINNING

underpinning 1 of 2

noun

ˈən-dər-ˌpi-niŋ

Definition of underpinning

as in basis

an immaterial thing upon which something else rests the underpinnings of the theory have recently been called into question

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in support

a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else the underpinnings of the bridge were seriously damaged in the collision

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underpinning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of underpin

as in sustaining

to hold up or serve as a foundation for the central beliefs that underpin a free society

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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 underpinning

Noun

Having sought to upend the global maritime order — the underpinning of the global goods trade, energy flows, food supplies, and internet communications — China now seeks the trust of smaller countries to shape the digital one. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Otherwise, the underpinnings are perfectly sorted. — Utkarsh Sood june 27, New Atlas, 27 June 2026

Verb

There’s pathos, and shrewd irony, underpinning his performance. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 Developer tools such as Claude Code or OpenAI’s Codex are now underpinning a new wave of consumer and general-use products. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underpinning

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinning

Noun

Cardinals reliever George Soriano loaded the bases with a leadoff walk to Hernández and consecutive two-out walks to pinch-hitter Max Muncy and Kyle Tucker in the eighth before pinch-hitter Dalton Rushing went down swinging.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Although there’s a practical and personal basis to Wayne’s newfound commitment, there’s also a philosophical one that’s reflected in the movie’s title.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of basis

Noun

The same investments that improve energy security can lower consumer costs, reduce emissions, strengthen industrial capacity and support growth.

— Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Modern submarine programmes involve sophisticated engineering, propulsion, sensors, communications, combat systems and long-term industrial support.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of support

Verb

Last year at the Venice Film Festival, Italy’s Fondazione Prada officially launched its film fund, aimed at sustaining independent cinema from around the world without any restrictions on theme, genre or language.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed all of last season after sustaining a knee injury in training camp, was sidelined for much of August because of a flare-up to that same knee.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of sustaining

Noun

This allows XPeng to run its physical AI foundation model directly on the robot rather than relying on remote computing or teleoperation for complex tasks.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
The documentary is narrated by actor Gary Sinise, whose own direction in life was profoundly affected by the attacks and ultimately inspired the creation of his foundation to support veterans, first responders, and their families.

— Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of foundation

Noun

But when the margins are thin, the offensive reinforcements to supplement a young core are nonexistent, and the pressure is on, every mistake is costly.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Real-world robot dataset AGIBOT’s WORLD 2026 Theme 3 dataset initiative provides researchers with real-world robot experience data aimed at advancing reinforcement learning and embodied AI.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of reinforcement

Verb

The company says the plant could provide roughly 400 MW of electrical power without the risk of plasma disruptions, supporting its intended role as a source of baseload energy.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Finland has also been an attractive location for digital infrastructure supporting social media workloads, with TikTok planning on expanding its data center capacity in the country.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of supporting

Noun

That idea became the spiritual bedrock of one of the most consequential publications of the American women’s movement.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
An incident of the massive scale seen in Nepal is rare, but smaller, similar disasters will be more frequent in the future as the melting of glaciers and permafrost creates unstable bedrock in mountains, according to Cook.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of bedrock

Noun

Footwear is a key part of the strategy within several pillars outlined by Joseph Alkire, Kontoor’s president and chief financial officer.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
Sports remains the third pillar of the country strategy, according to Oishi, who cites Prime Video’s existing rights to MLB, NBA and live boxing coverage in Japan.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pillar

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underpinned

underpinning

underpinnings

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Style

“Underpinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinning. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of underpinning

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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