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
Naked mole rats – a social, subterranean cold-blooded mammal that looks like a hot dog with teeth – generate fevers in response to infection, despite their unusual physiology.
—
Harry Bernheim, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
Rounding it all out: a lengthy double-gated driveway that passes between a pair of matching 2,000-square-foot carriage houses and over a bridge before emptying out at a circular motor court, along with an eight-car garage complemented by a subterranean six-car garage for all your toys.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 May 2025
Its practical effects and creature designs remain dazzlingly strange, and its subterranean world—labyrinthine, liturgical, and etched with mysterious lore—echoes the Underpass in Us.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Whatever happens in the subterranean world of Sous Terre, don’t leave without a Ramos Gin Fizz.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
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Harry Bernheim, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
Rounding it all out: a lengthy double-gated driveway that passes between a pair of matching 2,000-square-foot carriage houses and over a bridge before emptying out at a circular motor court, along with an eight-car garage complemented by a subterranean six-car garage for all your toys.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 May 2025
Its practical effects and creature designs remain dazzlingly strange, and its subterranean world—labyrinthine, liturgical, and etched with mysterious lore—echoes the Underpass in Us.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
Whatever happens in the subterranean world of Sous Terre, don’t leave without a Ramos Gin Fizz.
—Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 20 May 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 4 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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