undergird

verb

un·der·gird ˌən-dər-ˈgərd

undergirded; undergirding; undergirds

Synonyms of undergird next

transitive verb

archaic : to make secure underneath

took measures to undergird the ship—

Acts 27:17 (Revised Standard Version)

: to form the basis or foundation of : strengthen, support

facts and statistics subtly undergird his commentary—

Susan Q. Stranahan

Did you know?

When undergird was a new word in the 16th century, it was ships that were undergirded—that is, made secure below—and the undergirding was done by passing a rope or chain underneath. That literal sense has long since fallen out of use, but in the 19th century undergird picked up the figurative “strengthen” or “support” meaning that we still use. Centuries before anything was undergirded, however, people and things could be girded—that is, encircled or bound with a flexible band, such as a belt. Girding today is more often about preparing oneself to fight or to do something difficult, as in “girding themselves for an ideological battle.” About as old as gird is the word’s close relation, girdle, which originally referred to an article of clothing that circles the body usually at the waist; the girdles of today address the same anatomical territory but with the squeezy aim of making the waist look thinner. Gird also gives us girder, a noun referring to a horizontal piece supporting a structure.

Examples of undergird in a Sentence

the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

In recent interviews, the president has rejected those calls more forcefully, but he’s been unable to dispel the concerns that undergird them. —

Philip Bump, Washington Post, 8 July 2024 An undeniable logic undergirds the party’s reconsideration of its nominee. —

Philip Bump, Washington Post, 11 July 2024 The intrigue: The Defense Department's green interest is also undergirded by more direct experiences: soldiers in senior roles who 10-20 years ago guarded fuel convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan; officers at bases damaged by stronger storms or inundated by regular floods from sea-level rise. —

Alan Neuhauser, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024 The consumer welfare principle undergirds the judge’s holding in Epic v. Apple – which stressed the welfare-beneficial aspects of Apple’s conduct. —

Alden Abbott, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for undergird