groundwork
noun
ground·work
ˈgrau̇nd-ˌwərk 
: foundation, basis
laid the groundwork for a new program
also
: preparation made beforehand
the groundwork was done before the winter tour —
Susan Reiter
Susan Reiter Synonyms
Examples of groundwork in a Sentence
they had collectively laid the groundwork for a new kind of art
Recent Examples on the Web
According to Duarte, assigning whales a monetary value lays the groundwork for a system of penalties for anyone responsible for harming these animals.
—Jared Formanek, CNN, 14 June 2024
In a significant development that could help launch Google’s marquee project in West San Jose, the tech titan is eyeing an affordable-housing site — potentially laying the groundwork for a mixed-use community that would dramatically reshape a huge swath of downtown.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 10 June 2024
What really tickled the director, though, was the idea of Arjona’s character falling in love with one of Powell’s alter egos rather than the real man himself, laying the groundwork for a classic screwball comedy.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 June 2024
This is important to lay the groundwork for future flights, when SpaceX wants to bring the Super Heavy booster—the size of the fuselage of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet—to a landing back at its launch pad.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for groundwork 
Jared Formanek, CNN, 14 June 2024
In a significant development that could help launch Google’s marquee project in West San Jose, the tech titan is eyeing an affordable-housing site — potentially laying the groundwork for a mixed-use community that would dramatically reshape a huge swath of downtown.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 10 June 2024
What really tickled the director, though, was the idea of Arjona’s character falling in love with one of Powell’s alter egos rather than the real man himself, laying the groundwork for a classic screwball comedy.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 June 2024
This is important to lay the groundwork for future flights, when SpaceX wants to bring the Super Heavy booster—the size of the fuselage of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet—to a landing back at its launch pad.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for groundwork
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'groundwork.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near groundwork
Cite this Entry
“Groundwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groundwork. Accessed 28 Jun. 2024.
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groundwork
noun
ground·work
ˈgrau̇n-ˌdwərk
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