as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology

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Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of undergird The department also undergirds federal student aid programs for colleges and universities. Joel Mathis, theweek, 29 Nov. 2024 Running primetime shows that can’t win a million viewers per night is like allowing termites to keep nibbling away at the wood that undergirds a stately home. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024 In addition, the recent DARPA AI Cyber Challenge showed that developers could create new generative AI systems to safeguard critical software that undergirds everything from financial systems and hospitals to public utilities. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024 Establishing a credible path toward a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza is the only foundation that can undergird long-term security and regional acceptance for Israel and guarantee the normalization of its relations with Saudi Arabia. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for undergird 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergird
Verb
  • With the help of American biologist Lynn Margulis, however, Lovelock would develop and sustain the idea that organic and inorganic elements of the planet contributed to a global, self-regulating being.
    Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Damascus residents reached via the WhatsApp messaging platform reported hearing sustained gunfire starting in the early morning and continuing for hours.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • For example, the Department of Commerce awarded $16 billion in incentives and tax credits last month alone to boost projects to support the creation of microchips, which the White House credits with spurring $180 billion in private investments in the semiconductor industry.
    Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The group also supported the Taliban in its two-decade campaign against the former Afghan government that ultimately collapsed amid a U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Jackson police detective Tommie Brown told WJTV and NBC affiliate WLBT that the Hyundai was carrying a man, a woman, a teenager and two children, all from Copiah County, located south of Jackson.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Judge Maxwell Wiley’s decision will let jurors deliberate a charge of criminally negligent homicide, which carries a lighter punishment.
    Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • His contributions, therefore, have implications that extend beyond individual corporations, bolstering the compliance framework that underpins a healthy and stable global economy.
    Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The idea of Ricciardo joining Cadillac is intriguing, primarily due to his enduring popularity in North America, bolstered by the series Drive to Survive.
    Alex Harrington, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024

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“Undergird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergird. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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