1
as in basis
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
the underpinnings of the theory have recently been called into question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in support
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
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the central beliefs that underpin a free society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underpinning
Carlos Gershenson, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025
What a moment ago was festive theme park fare becomes something more reflective, all while slightly nodding to the holiday’s more spiritual underpinnings.
—Todd Martens, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
That surge came even as investors grew increasingly wary of inflated artificial intelligence valuations and the financing underpinning the rapid expansion of data centers.
—April Roach, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underpinning
Noun
For some datasets – the core underpinning of many AI systems – AI will not perform better than chance.
—Verb
But unbeknownst to county officials, a land deal underpinning the effort skirted federal regulations — a rub in the county’s plans that is set to cost taxpayers $2 million pulled from other homelessness efforts.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinning
Noun
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Throughout the spring and deep into training camp, Williams felt the flames of Johnson’s intensity almost on an hourly basis.—
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But the department has argued the sheer volume of documents that need to be found, uploaded, reviewed, redacted and published has forced it to instead release the files online on a rolling basis, with a series of enormous document dumps over the course of several days in mid-December.—
Noun
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Andy Baker-White, the senior director of state health policy for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the bipartisan support for bills targeting food dyes and ultraprocessed food struck him as unusual.—
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The perfectly chunky, almost-statement shoes feature a lightweight midsole, shock-absorbing arch support, and a deep heel cup designed to keep your foot stable as you strut.—
Verb
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Western governments have imposed sanctions on her in the past for her part in sustaining Maduro’s administration.—
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Puig first tore the ACL in his left knee in the Western Conference final in 2024, assisting on the game’s only goal after sustaining the injury.—
Noun
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The Little Rock School District's suspension of a career education partnership blindsided the Academies of Central Arkansas, according to the leader of the foundation behind the program.—
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No matter where his work takes him, that foundation always feels like home.—
Noun
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The Bucs hope that switching up the coaching staff, adding more reinforcements through free agency and most importantly, keeping the main leader in place, could bode well for 2026.—
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Training begins in a simulated environment using reinforcement learning, where the robot improves by trial and error.—
Verb
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If your money wasn’t involved in supporting the Dallas Cowboys show, all of it may be funny, instead of just flat, sad, and a bad joke.—
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The companies said the robotaxi is designed to deliver a premium passenger experience while supporting large-scale autonomous deployment.—
Noun
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The mikveh, hewn into the bedrock, measures approximately 10 feet long, 4 feet, 5 inches wide and 6 feet, 1 inch high, with four steps leading into the bath.—
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Local government as a bedrock for getting results.—
Verb
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Putin is yet to comment on the developments related to the tanker, which the US had previously sanctioned for carrying illicit Iranian oil.—
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Russia attacks Ukraine with new Oreshnik ballistic missile Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with a new hypersonic ballistic missile, an advanced weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.—
Cite this Entry
“Underpinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinning. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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