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underpinnings

noun

plural of underpinning
1
as in foundations
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests the underpinnings of the theory have recently been called into question

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in shores
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

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 underpinnings Underneath the bodywork are some relatively familiar underpinnings; Bentley shares technology with Porsche as both are part of the greater Volkswagen Group empire. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Summary Toyota's new C-HR+ electric SUV signals a serious EV commitment, presenting a larger, sharper-looking model distinct from its hybrid counterpart, built on bZ4X underpinnings. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 However, the political underpinnings of that panic are rarely identified and challenged. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 Otherwise, the underpinnings are perfectly sorted. — Utkarsh Sood june 27, New Atlas, 27 June 2026 Li is magnificently photographed throughout and is as alluring as the part demands, but Cat has no evident personality — nor does Flint, leaving Huston playing emotionally tortured but with no meaningful underpinnings. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 In a post on X, Reeves underscored the ideological underpinnings to the ruling’s potential implications. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 The two share mechanical underpinnings, including their powertrains and most fundamental off-road hardware. — ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinnings
  1. foundations
  2. shores
  3. cornerstones
  4. pillars
  5. bases
  6. supports
  7. bedrocks
  8. reinforcements
Noun
  • When finance leaders take ownership of selecting AI tools and building the process foundations that support them, adoption can make it past the experimentation phase.
    — John Gronen, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Liu’s Met commission, with its disembodied hands, its severing and suturing of the organic and the mechanical, may be a metaphor for a civilization detached from its foundations and coming to its end.
    — Lavender Au, ARTnews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of foundations
Noun
  • The next night, the Dead brought the Bangles onstage, on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, to sing along and dance — a truly surreal duet.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Set in the Basque Country in 1930, the film tells the story of an English ship that is stranded on the shores of Biscay during a violent storm.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of shores
Noun
  • In the 1950s and 1960s, suburban malls were explicitly designed as community cornerstones, complete with bustling food courts, movie theaters, arcades, and a smorgasbord of shops.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Released 20 years ago this week, the horror novel by Max Brooks quickly became one of the undisputed cornerstones of walking dead canon.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of cornerstones
Noun
  • Cage solved my next problem by insisting that the way to discover new things is to overcome our dependence on our likes and dislikes, those supposed pillars of criticism.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Today, the offering is broken down into three pillars in men’s as well as a women’s division, Cater explained.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of pillars
Noun
  • Although Turkey maintains several bases in northern Iraq for operations against the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, the Bashiqa camp is Turkey's furthest base from its border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • His 40 steals are a career high after swiping 35 bases last year.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of bases
Noun
  • The result is a feedback loop where leadership sets aggressive targets, teams present a rosier picture than reality supports and leadership then makes the next round of decisions on inflated data.
    — Nacho De Marco, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Securitize's platform supports tokenization of traditional assets like stocks and funds.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of supports
Noun
  • The costs of health insurance are pushing small businesses — beloved by politicians and the bedrocks of entire communities — to a financial cliff.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 7 July 2026
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton also reflect on the bedrocks of our democracy, including the Electoral College and the peaceful transfer of power.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 June 2026
Definition of bedrocks
Noun
  • Government reinforcements have also been sent toward Lahj and Abyan, also in the southwest, and to the front lines near Houthi positions, as well as toward the strategic western Red Sea coast, most of which is now under Houthi control.
    — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Yemeni government forces have launched airstrikes targeting Houthi reinforcements west of Taiz, several residents of Mokha said, and the Yemeni government military has urged civilians to avoid roads between Taiz and Mokha.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of reinforcements

Browse Nearby Words

underpinning
underpinnings
underpins
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Cite this Entry

“Underpinnings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinnings. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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