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
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Recent Examples of underpinnings
Given all the other economic and geopolitical uncertainty in the world, this is perhaps not the best time to assume rapid and significant change in the underpinnings of how the central bank has worked has no risk.
—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Moving on to the underpinnings.
—
New Atlas,
27 May 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
Trump has alluded to the political underpinnings of the influx.
—
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
And yet, while the NCAA Tournament retains its traditional trappings and brackets and upsets keep the country entranced, the underpinnings of college basketball are totally different.
—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
The movie does attempt to gesture at class and race as thematic underpinnings (the maids trapped in The Virgil are mostly non-white, while the villains are rich Caucasians), but like the story and action at large, these go pretty much nowhere, and feel like obligatory symbols.
—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Moving on to the underpinnings.
—
New Atlas,
27 May 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
Trump has alluded to the political underpinnings of the influx.
—
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
And yet, while the NCAA Tournament retains its traditional trappings and brackets and upsets keep the country entranced, the underpinnings of college basketball are totally different.
—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
The movie does attempt to gesture at class and race as thematic underpinnings (the maids trapped in The Virgil are mostly non-white, while the villains are rich Caucasians), but like the story and action at large, these go pretty much nowhere, and feel like obligatory symbols.
—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinnings
Noun
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Their radical act wasn't to reject law, but to defend it, believing the British government had abandoned its own legal foundations.
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Policymakers should treat it as a reminder that the country’s foundations are still cracking — and if the drift continues, the next rupture will be something darker.
Noun
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In the spring of 2023, as epic winter snows melted, horse carcasses emerged along the shores of South Tufa and nearby Navy Beach.
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What Makes Its Beach Unique Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is on the shores of a coquina rock beach, the second largest outcropping of visible limestone shoreline in Florida (the first is Blowing Rocks Preserve in Jupiter).
Noun
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Curriculum reform was one of the cornerstones of Louisiana’s rise in literacy achievement.
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These changes will have a significant impact in Nevada, where tourism, hospitality, and gaming are cornerstones of the state's economy.
Noun
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Brick pillars are embedded with bronze plaques listing the players and manager from each of the franchise’s three World Series championship teams.
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Personalized treatments are built around three pillars—energetic renewal, conscious longevity, and stress management—and integrated with the landscape and architecture of the property and the regional cuisine.
Noun
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Hillary Rodham Clinton also reflect on the bedrocks of our democracy, including the Electoral College and the peaceful transfer of power.
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Nola and Realmuto, long bedrocks for the organization, are facing turmoil.
Noun
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On the other were calls to shift resources away from policing and toward social supports and services.
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Build office- and home-based supports that make systems flexible enough to let their strengths show.
Noun
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Rubber reinforcements also line the toe, running into a sole unit with a moderate amount of tread that should carry its wearer from a trail to a body of water.
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In the first weeks of the war, the Syrian military sent reinforcements to the border with Lebanon, which officials said aimed to stop cross-border weapons smuggling or any spillover of the conflict.
Noun
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The soldiers, according to witnesses, instead triaged themselves with makeshift bandages, braces and tourniquets.
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The new ones appear reassuringly sturdy, even without the thicket of cross-braces that typically fence off the sidewalk from the street.
Cite this Entry
“Underpinnings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinnings. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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