subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən 
-nyən
variants
or less commonly subterraneous
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-əs
-nyəs
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
a subterranean network of criminals
subterraneanly
adverb
or less commonly subterraneously
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Go Underground With Subterranean
A tunnel is a subterranean road or pathway, and a subway is a subterranean railway. The subterranean vaults at Fort Knox hold billions of dollars of gold reserves. Subterranean reservoirs called aquifers are tapped for water; in places where the pressure on the subterranean water is great enough, a hole drilled in the ground will bring it bubbling to the surface.
Examples of subterranean in a Sentence
a subterranean bunker that supposedly could withstand even an atomic blast
Recent Examples on the Web
The friend was chatting with chef-owner Yoshiyuki Inoue about the expanding warren of restaurants on this subterranean level of the Kajima Building, which already housed Sushi Kaneyoshi and its more casual sibling, Bar Sawa.
—
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Whatever that yields, Ward remains a prodigious and workmanlike subterranean rock figure.
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Jan. 2026
In a subterranean ceremony shortly after midnight Wednesday, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s 112th mayor, becoming the first Muslim and, at 34, the youngest man in modern memory to lead the five boroughs.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
The subterranean site, which closed 80 years ago, is noted for its architectural grandeur with chandeliers, glass skylights and tiled vaulted tunnels.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
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Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Whatever that yields, Ward remains a prodigious and workmanlike subterranean rock figure.
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Jan. 2026
In a subterranean ceremony shortly after midnight Wednesday, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s 112th mayor, becoming the first Muslim and, at 34, the youngest man in modern memory to lead the five boroughs.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
The subterranean site, which closed 80 years ago, is noted for its architectural grandeur with chandeliers, glass skylights and tiled vaulted tunnels.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
Cite this Entry
“Subterranean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subterranean. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən
-nyən
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
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