1
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
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the central beliefs that underpin a free society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of underpinning
Simmone Shah, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
In a post on X, Reeves underscored the ideological underpinnings to the ruling’s potential implications.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
In total, the programme is expected to generate broader industrial benefits, supporting 100 additional roles at Rheinmetall’s Telford site and underpinning another 300 jobs across the wider UK supply chain, the British defense ministry said in a press release.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underpinning
Noun
Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency repealed its endangerment finding, which provides the legal underpinning for greenhouse gas regulations in the country.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
In a post on X, Reeves underscored the ideological underpinnings to the ruling’s potential implications.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
Talent Signature is the intelligence layer underpinning those outcomes and the foundation for expanding personalization across all ServiceNow experiences as the system matures.
—Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
In total, the programme is expected to generate broader industrial benefits, supporting 100 additional roles at Rheinmetall’s Telford site and underpinning another 300 jobs across the wider UK supply chain, the British defense ministry said in a press release.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underpinning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinning
Noun
-
Chicago trailed 4-3 in the ninth inning before Pedro Ramírez hit an RBI single off Seth Halvorsen with the bases loaded and nobody out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
-
Second baseman Pedro Ramirez connected for an RBI single with the bases loaded and nobody out to tie things up at 4-4.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The aircraft, a long-haul B-52 Stratofortress, crashed after taking off on a test mission in support of a radar modernization program, the military base previously said.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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And Operations Manager David Temple adds that guests find support, security, and stability.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Despite sustaining significant injuries, police said the couple was able to transport themselves to a local hospital.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
These graveyards form when whale carcasses fall to the sea floor, becoming a sustaining snack for nearby critters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Especially Melanie, who was crying her foundation off before the vote was even announced.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
-
Regular caffeine consumption changes the way your brain responds to it, and that’s the foundation of tolerance.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
According to xAI, OpenAI sought information about the development of Grok 4, arguing that OpenAI’s forthcoming ChatGPT updates were struggling to compete with Grok’s capabilities in advanced reasoning and reinforcement learning techniques.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
-
After retargeting, the robot is trained in a simulation environment using reinforcement learning.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Your 10th House of Career gains shine as beauty-loving Venus arrives, supporting confident polish and the power of understated presence.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
-
State initiatives aimed at supporting fusion research and commercialization have encouraged investment and collaboration, helping establish an ecosystem designed to accelerate technological breakthroughs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The weathering of bedrock depends, in part, on temperature.—
Scott K. Johnson,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
-
But far from celebrating or sanctifying the throwing off of English rule, the story’s shocking ending portrays the patriots as a fiendish mob, and casts doubt on the bedrock American faith in prosperity.—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The lifecycle pillar then operationalizes governance through requirements covering model selection, data quality, explainability, performance monitoring, human oversight, cybersecurity, and third-party risk.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
When constructed, the stone circle was aligned with the sun, and to this day, thousands of people gather to witness the moment the sun peeks perfectly through its pillars.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underpinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinning. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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