underlie

verb

Definition of underlienext
1
as in to support
to lie underneath A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in to establish
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 underlie The program was established by state lawmakers in 2018 as a way to help stem the tide of mental illness in jails and prisons, usually by dismissing cases and offering treatment for the underlying conditions behind a defendant’s arrest. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 While the choreography was designed for a global TV audience, the underlying technology has broader industrial applications. — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 His guru, Ramakrishna, was a 19th-century mystic and spiritual teacher in Bengal whose teachings on the unity underlying all religions shaped the worldview Vivekananda would go on to spread globally. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 July 2026 Zuckerberg said Meta has been working on the underlying technology since 2014, starting with virtual and augmented reality, and that the company is already planning its 2028 glasses lineup. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for underlie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlie
  1. support
  2. establish
  3. steady
  4. ground
  5. uphold
  6. reinforce
  7. carry
  8. underpin
Verb
  • During a 2019-20 artist residency with New York City’s Department of Records and Information Services, Weist mined municipal archives for records revealing how city government had defined, supported and monitored past artists.
    — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Developed by L3Harris Technologies under the Combat Mission Systems Support framework, the system will be operated by the command's Space Delta 3 (DEL 3) – Space Electromagnetic Warfare, with acquisition and sustainment supported by System Delta 89.
    — David Szondy July 06, New Atlas, 7 July 2026
Definition of support
Verb
  • Lawyers on both sides have urged the high court to establish a clear right to a verbatim record in civil hearings.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Last December, the city of Miami approved an ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Damian Pardo establishing an overnight anchoring limitation area within portions of Biscayne Bay.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of establish
Verb
  • The bench tipped, and the man put out a hand to steady himself, knocking a Hopi headpiece off a ledge.
    — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • The footage, published by Reuters, shows passengers trying to steady themselves as the plane began to rapidly shake on the tarmac.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
Definition of steady
Verb
  • The two daredevils who scaled the spire of the Empire State Building while the world watched have been grounded by the New York Police Department and are now the targets of a criminal investigation.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • The Navy had to wait for specialized technicians to arrive or ship massive parts across the globe to repair depots in the US, keeping combat jets grounded.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
Definition of ground
Verb
  • On the surface, the Supreme Court’s June 30 opinion upholding state laws barring transgender girls from women’s and girl’s sports teams looks like a victory for women’s rights.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Last year, the Supreme Court upheld a different Texas law requiring that pornographic websites verify users are at least 18 to allow access.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of uphold
Verb
  • But the additional wording on the MSG sign about confidentiality during and post-event reinforces that there is no livestream, no TV broadcast and likely a social media blackout – until Swift and Kelce deem otherwise.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Goldman Sachs reinforced that view this week, initiating coverage with a buy rating and a $186 price target.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 3 July 2026
Definition of reinforce
Verb
  • Just assume that any animal is going to carry disease, and rabies is one of them.
    — Kelli Arseneau, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Fujimori’s presidency marks a return of her family’s political brand to Peru’s highest office — a movement that has long carried a complicated relationship with the United States.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • Driving between Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, the ideas that underpin Land Art begin to feel clearer.
    — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
  • There are also three fixes for the Kernel, the engine that underpins the operating system.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of underpin

Browse Nearby Words

underlay
underlie
underlies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underlie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlie. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on underlie

Nglish: Translation of underlie for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All