1
as in basis
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
the underpinnings of the theory have recently been called into question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in support
a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else
the underpinnings of the bridge were seriously damaged in the collision
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the central beliefs that underpin a free society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of underpinning
Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
Despite its racist underpinnings, my grandmother loved Gone with the Wind and was always inspired by Margaret Mitchell's transformation of her family stories into a sweeping epic.
—Erin Crosby Eckstine, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 4 Dec. 2024
Jensen Huang’s company has become the poster child for all things AI, with its graphics processing units underpinning the technology’s large language models.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for underpinning
Noun
At the same time, the theater world, particularly in the non-profit space, has suffered from declining attendance that threatens its financial underpinnings.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
Despite its racist underpinnings, my grandmother loved Gone with the Wind and was always inspired by Margaret Mitchell's transformation of her family stories into a sweeping epic.
—Erin Crosby Eckstine, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
There is no better book to give you an insider’s feel for what constitutes the sartorial intelligence underpinning Italian men’s fashion.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 4 Dec. 2024
Jensen Huang’s company has become the poster child for all things AI, with its graphics processing units underpinning the technology’s large language models.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for underpinning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underpinning
Noun
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The funniest part was that the clause has some basis considering Johnson has been accused of infidelity by other partners, including Rosado.—
Keydra Manns,
Essence,
27 Feb. 2025
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The contractors examined the numbers and locations of each persona on a county-by-county basis.—
Corey G. Johnson,
ProPublica,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Context Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week entered its fourth year, with the U.S. previously providing billions in military and humanitarian support.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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Here are some of the best deals available now: Be Windows 11-Ready With a New Inspiron Laptop The days of Windows 10 are almost behind us, with Microsoft ending OS support this year.—
PCMag BrandX and Dell,
PCMAG,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The falling birth rate is a concern in terms of sustaining economic development and the provision of support for large numbers of elderly people in the future.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
31 Dec. 2024
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While many artists can easily build a brand and fandom on social media, and then release music across streaming platforms without a major record label deal, managing and sustaining an entire career takes more know-how.—
Andrea Zarczynski,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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These unsung heroes are essential to an artist’s team and its foundation.—
Ingrid Fajardo,
Billboard,
5 Mar. 2025
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With stable housing as the foundation, the next step is ensuring people feel safe in their home and community.—
Carolina Chavez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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By the 2010s, deep learning combined with RL gave rise to deep reinforcement learning (DRL).—
Dhivya Nagasubramanian,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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The Celtics did receive reinforcements in the form of Jaylen Brown and Luke Kornet, who both were upgraded from questionable to available before tipoff against the Cavs.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The top priority for now is identifying the victims, supporting their families and treating the two survivors, Choi told a disaster management meeting in Seoul.—
Ju-min Park and Hongji Kim,
USA TODAY,
31 Dec. 2024
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If your current job in comms is growing stale, consider pivoting to supporting an organization fighting climate change.—
Aliza Knox,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There is an underlying fear that the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the first between an Arab country and the Jewish state – and which has become a bedrock of regional security – might be facing its greatest threat since it was signed 45 years ago.—
Sarah El Sirgany,
CNN,
3 Mar. 2025
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What To Do In Port St. Lucie, Florida See The Botanical Gardens Celebrating 15 years in 2025, the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens is a bedrock of the community, welcoming all to enjoy its shaded walkways, flowering native gardens, and acres of wetlands and mangrove forests.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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According to the wildlife charity (WDC), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, orcas, Australian humpback dolphins and sperm whales have all been observed carrying dead calves.—
Tom Howarth,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Acker went from carrying 72 times in 2023 to once last season but can handle the load if necessary or serve as a lead blocker.—
Jesse Temple,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underpinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underpinning. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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