as in sustains
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the central beliefs that underpin a free society
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Recent Examples of underpins
Advertisement Today, China controls much of the supply chain that underpins robotics.
—
Eric Schmidt, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
This ethos underpins the agency’s next chapter as Kiel envisions expanding the team, adding sales capacity, and potentially establishing additional locations across the US.
—Contributor, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Investors viewed the development as a potential threat to the kind of maintenance and modernization work that underpins IBM’s legacy business.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
Such trickery to assign great value to low-worth materials also underpins the surprise ending for The Girl Who Cried Pearls, which follows a poor boy falling in love with a girl overwhelmed by sorrow to the point her tears turn into pearls.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Malinin seemed genuinely unprepared for his stress responses, how the sudden onset of nerves would throw off the delicate chemical balance that underpins performance.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
The endangerment finding is widely considered the legal foundation that underpins a series of regulations intended to protect against threats made increasingly severe by climate change.
—Matthew Daly, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
The legal finding, known as the endangerment finding, underpins the nation’s climate rules.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
In Central Florida, those impacts would be felt quickly along the I-4 corridor, where trucking underpins port operations, tourism supply chains, and the daily movement of goods between Tampa, Orlando and the Space Coast.
—Bhupinder Kaur, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Eric Schmidt, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
This ethos underpins the agency’s next chapter as Kiel envisions expanding the team, adding sales capacity, and potentially establishing additional locations across the US.
—Contributor, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Investors viewed the development as a potential threat to the kind of maintenance and modernization work that underpins IBM’s legacy business.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
Such trickery to assign great value to low-worth materials also underpins the surprise ending for The Girl Who Cried Pearls, which follows a poor boy falling in love with a girl overwhelmed by sorrow to the point her tears turn into pearls.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Malinin seemed genuinely unprepared for his stress responses, how the sudden onset of nerves would throw off the delicate chemical balance that underpins performance.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
The endangerment finding is widely considered the legal foundation that underpins a series of regulations intended to protect against threats made increasingly severe by climate change.
—Matthew Daly, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
The legal finding, known as the endangerment finding, underpins the nation’s climate rules.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
In Central Florida, those impacts would be felt quickly along the I-4 corridor, where trucking underpins port operations, tourism supply chains, and the daily movement of goods between Tampa, Orlando and the Space Coast.
—Bhupinder Kaur, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpins
Verb
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Ayton sustains knee injury in first quarter Lakers center Deandre Ayton left the game in the first quarter after sustaining a knee injury.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Read side by side, the books also demonstrate the collective labor that sustains Ukrainian poetry today.—
Alex Averbuch,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the top of the list of must-haves for a home office, the ability to carve out a space that supports both work output and mental clarity is key.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2026
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Today’s Full Moon is a Lunar Eclipse, which supports your domestic life through honest conversations and small changes.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Casap may never change after ‘horrific’ crimes First-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Finally, many families will need to analyze whether to invest alone or with partners – a decision that carries its own set of advantages and trade‑offs.—
Belinda G. Schwartz,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Abbas Kiarostami’s work, embracing the way that people who aren’t in the movie business talk and move bolsters the films’ documentary essence.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
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The new retail arrival bolsters Stonebriar Centre, which is set to bring in others this year.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Chait has extensive experience presenting to the Board of Education and unfailingly upholds the administration’s perspective.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
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The Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment and removes him as president, triggering an election within 60 days to choose his successor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpins. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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