underpins

present tense third-person singular of underpin
as in sustains
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the central beliefs that underpin a free society

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 underpins Permafrost - or ground that is frozen year-round - underpins many of these villages and is thawing, leading to rapid erosion and instability. NPR, 17 Oct. 2025 Sustainability underpins everything Brazilian mill Vicunha produces. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 14 Oct. 2025 In something like Chocolate Sheet Cake With Brown Butter Frosting, vanilla extract underpins the deep flavors of the cocoa while enhancing the nutty flavor of the frosting. Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 In the Israeli and Jewish ethos, this is a supreme moral and operational duty that underpins the Israeli fighting spirit and national resilience. Ehud Barak, Time, 10 Oct. 2025 Computing costs and energy needs dominate the narrative, yet copper underpins the entire system. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025 Eckert’s ultimate victory in securing regulatory approval for Addyi underpins the documentary’s revelations about gender bias at the FDA as a drug that claimed to improve female pleasure was dismissed as trivial or even dangerous. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025 The 2026 model rides on a new architecture that underpins most of Subaru’s model line. Mark Phelan, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025 The study comes amid widespread concerns that the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence, the technology that underpins ChatGPT, could put many jobs at risk as US companies increasingly turn to AI to cut costs through greater automation. Ana Nicolaci Da Costa, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpins
Verb
  • That’s what sustains a culture over the long term.
    Prof. Dr. med. Mazda Farshad, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • What sustains us is Julia Roberts and the cast.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Research on interpersonal warmth—which, alongside competence, accounts for roughly 82% of how people evaluate others—supports the importance of explicit positive communication.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the body that primarily supports muscles.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her poetry carries it all—the metaphysical, the flirtatious, the unsettling, the provocative— all in such miniscule space.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The line also carries the Seal of Cotton trademark, Cotton Incorporated’s label that verifies the natural fiber content of products.
    Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The move bolsters its commitment to the region’s audiovisual industry where Cimarrón has already been active in Uruguay, Mexico and Argentina.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Published Wednesday in , the discovery bolsters the case for follow-up missions to search for signs of life within Saturn’s enigmatic, ocean-bearing moon.
    Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There’s a reason why everyone from nurses to marathon runners upholds Hoka as the gold standard in comfy walking shoes.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The data show that 61% of women identify as feminist and are suspicious of any institution that upholds traditional social norms, according to the Survey Center on American Life.
    Mitch Picasso, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Underpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpins. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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