underpin
verb
un·der·pin
ˌən-dər-ˈpin 
underpinned; underpinning; underpins
1
: support, substantiate
underpin a thesis with evidence
2
: to form part of, strengthen, or replace the foundation of
underpin a structure
underpin a sagging building
Synonyms
Examples of underpin in a Sentence
a wall underpinned by metal beams
the central beliefs that underpin a free society
Recent Examples on the Web
The juniper is still in charge, but underpinned by light, slightly bitter citrus notes.
—
Tony Sachs, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note, which underpins a host of corporate and consumer loans, rose 0.17 percentage points for the week, a big move in that market.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Rather than needing mountains of text data like the system that underpins ChatGPT, systems for physical AI need to be trained on videos of humans walking, hands moving and other things that occur in nature.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
The big picture: The partnership between Gannett and Reuters is underpinned by a similar commitment by both brands to non-partisan coverage.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for underpin 
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Tony Sachs, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note, which underpins a host of corporate and consumer loans, rose 0.17 percentage points for the week, a big move in that market.
—Joe Rennison, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Rather than needing mountains of text data like the system that underpins ChatGPT, systems for physical AI need to be trained on videos of humans walking, hands moving and other things that occur in nature.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2025
The big picture: The partnership between Gannett and Reuters is underpinned by a similar commitment by both brands to non-partisan coverage.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for underpin
Dictionary Entries Near underpin
Cite this Entry
“Underpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underpin. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underpin
verb
un·der·pin
-ˈpin
1
: to give support to
underpin an argument with evidence
2
: to form part of, strengthen, or replace the foundation of
underpin a structure
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