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
At stake is the economic model that underpins the entire creative industry.
—
Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Shakti is the female energy that underpins the entire universe, and she is particularly associated with mountains.
—Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
Pitches that just barely graze the rigid outer edge of the strike zone prompted questions about how infinitesimally accurate the HawkEye technology that underpins ABS can be.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
That positioning underpins much of the vessel’s design and operational thinking, from its flexible accommodations to the onboard programming.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
The problem is the film just keeps hitting this same note over and over without ever caring to explore the psychology that underpins this.
—Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
At the federal level, legal foundations supporting vehicle emissions standards — including the endangerment finding that underpins limits on harmful tailpipe pollution — are being challenged.
—Bob Keefe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Green thinking underpins every practice at Hotel Maria - from the energy-efficient lighting right through to recycling programs.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
The relative equality of wellbeing underpins a sense of security and trust.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Shakti is the female energy that underpins the entire universe, and she is particularly associated with mountains.
—Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
Pitches that just barely graze the rigid outer edge of the strike zone prompted questions about how infinitesimally accurate the HawkEye technology that underpins ABS can be.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
That positioning underpins much of the vessel’s design and operational thinking, from its flexible accommodations to the onboard programming.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
The problem is the film just keeps hitting this same note over and over without ever caring to explore the psychology that underpins this.
—Chase Hutchinson, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
At the federal level, legal foundations supporting vehicle emissions standards — including the endangerment finding that underpins limits on harmful tailpipe pollution — are being challenged.
—Bob Keefe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Green thinking underpins every practice at Hotel Maria - from the energy-efficient lighting right through to recycling programs.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
The relative equality of wellbeing underpins a sense of security and trust.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpins
Verb
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Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
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According to Grunsfeld, this is what sustains the Artemis II crewmembers during fearful moments, such as when an indicator suggested a cabin leak that turned out to be a false alarm.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The full text menu also supports touch input.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
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The system runs on UnifoLM, Unitree’s proprietary unified large-scale model for robotics, and supports reinforcement learning to improve motion control and task execution.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Each piece carries a subtle, intentional message -- a daily reminder of your beauty and worth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Each count carries a maximum of three years in prison.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a cash crunch, streaming subscriptions also tend to be casualties, which only bolsters the value of over-the-air TV when Americans are keeping a tight grip on their checkbooks.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Wemby bolsters his defensive-minded MVP case Wembanyama argued after Monday's win at Miami that his defensive excellence should factor into him winning MVP.—
Tom Orsborn,
San Antonio Express-News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the Supreme Court upholds the order, Cruz said, families are bracing for the possibility that the government could attempt to revisit the citizenship of children born during that interim period—a scenario that would almost certainly prompt further legal challenges.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
1 Apr. 2026
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Luvme exclusively offers three tiers, beginning at 3-star and above, because tiers 1 and 2 fall below the quality and performance standards this brand upholds.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpins. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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