UNDERLAY Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

underlay

verb

Definition of underlay

past tense of underlie

as in supported

to lie underneath A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.

Related Words

Relevance

as in grounded

to form the basis or foundation of (something, such as an idea) The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example 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 underlay Judge Ruiz ruled Thursday that the second vote cured the problems that underlay her initial block on the deed transfer. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025 Once the human in the loop selects the option the team prefers, the systems can assign tasks to agents that underlay SAP’s assistant. — Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 17 Oct. 2025 This conviction underlay the Victorian workhouses in 19th-century England that Charles Dickens critiqued through his novels. — Colin Gordon, The Conversation, 29 May 2025 There was another story that underlay the peace negotiations, and that was the story of the love between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. — Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for underlay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlay

Verb

Historically, the Ford Foundation supported civil rights lawsuits beginning in the late 1960s and helped build public interest law into a field of its own.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Du Halgouët said the region’s performance was supported by retail sales at its own-brand stores, while the company’s focus on higher-value products, particularly leather goods and jewelry, helped cushion the decline.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of supported

Verb

Already offputting, Reid’s performance of Rapp’s dawning realizations — flipping from dismissive skepticism to feverish belief with little in between — grows less grounded by the minute.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Witty, bitter, flamboyant, and emotionally grounded, the dialogue swings, delightfully, between intimate exchanges and grandiloquent soliloquies, capturing the vulnerability of idealists in the face of evil.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of grounded

Verb

Neither party appears to have established much credibility with independent voters on the issue.

— Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
The agency was established in 2021 to make sure electrical utilities work to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by their equipment.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of established

Verb

The platform is based on feedback from 700+ members across 40 states, co-founder Zamaan Qureshi said.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Ding was charged in 2024 with stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets from Google while secretly working with two companies based in China.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of based

Verb

And the Starshield throttling — which apparently is still in effect — has doubtless reinforced the nation's desire to control its own satellite-communications infrastructure.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Crews excavated an 8-acre basin in the infield to serve as a holding pond, while contractors rebuilt the culverts under the track and reinforced the road leading into it.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforced

Verb

It was predicated upon the fundamental right of every eligible citizen to vote, as well as the duty of local and federal governments to protect that participation in the democratic process.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Corral was keen to push the concept of ‘quality mainstream,’ which is predicated on the idea that ambitious concepts will attract audiences on the strength of the content.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of predicated

Browse Nearby Words

underlain

underlay

underlie

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Style

“Underlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlay. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of underlay

verb

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