1
as in sources
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
he insists that insecurity is the root of all jealousy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in origins
the source from which something grows or develops
one would need to go back at least several hundred years to find the root of the entrenched hostility between the neighboring nations
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in foundations
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests
an implicit trust in the wisdom of the people is the root of democracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in essences
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
at root, it's a question of the proper limits, if any, of free speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in lodges
to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter
rooted the post securely in the dirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roots
Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Beyond television, Chase has returned to his stage roots with roles in the Broadway revivals of Kiss Me, Kate (2019) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
The track has roots harkening back to Don Reno, Red Smiley and The Tennessee Cutups in 1956, plus being favored by another teenage performer turned eventual Country Music Hall of Famer, Marty Stuart.
—Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Sep. 2025
Early roots Most people know Yellowstone was the first national park.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
The cornbread, too, has stayed true to its roots.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
The ancient roots of Latin America’s most beloved beverages run deep, but the modern spirits industry owes much more to Latin America and its people than just history.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Eternally proud of his Puerto Rican roots, Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Net pots are plastic containers with slits that allow roots to grow through.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
Stowe, Vermont Residents of storybook-pretty Stowe are committed to maintaining the region’s rural roots, and visitors reap the benefits with a wealth of still-wild landscapes.
—Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Beyond television, Chase has returned to his stage roots with roles in the Broadway revivals of Kiss Me, Kate (2019) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
The track has roots harkening back to Don Reno, Red Smiley and The Tennessee Cutups in 1956, plus being favored by another teenage performer turned eventual Country Music Hall of Famer, Marty Stuart.
—Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Sep. 2025
Early roots Most people know Yellowstone was the first national park.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
The cornbread, too, has stayed true to its roots.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
The ancient roots of Latin America’s most beloved beverages run deep, but the modern spirits industry owes much more to Latin America and its people than just history.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Eternally proud of his Puerto Rican roots, Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Net pots are plastic containers with slits that allow roots to grow through.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
In a strong culture, everyone roots their daily decisions in a desire to be in it to win it; there's a sense of ownership, pride and belonging.
—Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roots
Noun
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However, the picture of severe armored attrition for Russia is consistent across multiple sources.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Questions remain about carbon-capture wells Arizona is the nation’s largest producer of copper, an essential component in the electrification of cars and household appliances, as well as renewable power sources.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Both filmmakers traced their creative origins to childhood encounters with monsters and Japanese animation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Following this storyline, most accounts of Korea just after World War II look at these years for the origins of the Korean War.—
Kornel Chang
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While current makeup trends have skewed more dewy than matte, the best powder foundations still have a place in everyday makeup routines thanks to their fail-proof application—just pat on, and go!—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
15 Sep. 2025
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Right now, as City attempt to establish their defensive foundations, Khusanov’s high-stakes defending is, oddly, their most reliable solution to a problem position.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, the Enchanted glittered with edible pink shimmer dust, and bursting with fruity, botanical flavors – Grey Goose with watermelon basil essences, vermouth and basil.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
However, looking deep into these swirling cradles of planet formation has always been tricky.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Now on sale for less than $20, these pumpkin cradles are a simple but genius gardening hack that lifts squashes off the ground to prevent moisture build-up that can cause rot.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This isn't the first time a dog with an unusual breed mix has melted hearts online.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
For each, the state placed hoods over the men's heads, strapped them in a chair, placed targets over their hearts, and shot them simultaneously with three bullets.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Splunk’s new approach embeds agentic AI directly into Splunk Observability Cloud and Splunk AppDynamics, which continuously analyzes telemetry, flags anomalies, diagnoses root causes and recommends fixes.—
Victor Dey,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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This technique embeds invisible commands inside the body of an email.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Families strolled together, children played in fountains, and the scent of fresh tortillas and local spices drifted from the nearby markets.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
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With a ringside seat to Vegas’s iconic fountains, Wolfgang Puck’s famed restaurant is a must and also has some of the best service in town, thanks to its veteran staff who actually talk to and care about their patrons.—
Tim McGovern,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roots. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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