subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən 
-nyən
variants
or less commonly subterraneous
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-əs
-nyəs
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
a subterranean network of criminals
subterraneanly
adverb
or less commonly subterraneously
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Go Underground With Subterranean
A tunnel is a subterranean road or pathway, and a subway is a subterranean railway. The subterranean vaults at Fort Knox hold billions of dollars of gold reserves. Subterranean reservoirs called aquifers are tapped for water; in places where the pressure on the subterranean water is great enough, a hole drilled in the ground will bring it bubbling to the surface.
Examples of subterranean in a Sentence
a subterranean bunker that supposedly could withstand even an atomic blast
Recent Examples on the Web
Campos-Pons and Malak rose to the auspicious occasion of TATE Modern’s quarter century with an immersive performance that took the audience in the subterranean Tanks on a sensory journey, inviting reflection on universal themes of healing, resilience and transformation.
—
Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
These subterranean wonders offer both a science lesson and an adventure.
—Erin Gifford, USA Today, 18 June 2025
Less than a ten-minute walk from here is the entrance to the subterranean bunker in which Winston Churchill led operations when Adolf Hitler was trying to bomb London to bits.
—Jan Gradvall
june 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
Whereas Io is the poster child for this mechanism, tidal heating also heats many other worlds, including Io’s neighbor, the icy moon Europa, where the heat is thought to sustain a subterranean saltwater ocean.
—Robin Andrews, Wired News, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
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Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
These subterranean wonders offer both a science lesson and an adventure.
—Erin Gifford, USA Today, 18 June 2025
Less than a ten-minute walk from here is the entrance to the subterranean bunker in which Winston Churchill led operations when Adolf Hitler was trying to bomb London to bits.
—Jan Gradvall
june 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
Whereas Io is the poster child for this mechanism, tidal heating also heats many other worlds, including Io’s neighbor, the icy moon Europa, where the heat is thought to sustain a subterranean saltwater ocean.
—Robin Andrews, Wired News, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
Cite this Entry
“Subterranean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subterranean. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən
-nyən
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
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