as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology
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Recent Examples of undergirding
But there are key threads undergirding it.
—
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026
OpenAI is at the heart of a web of deals undergirding the artificial intelligence boom that has helped power the entire stock market higher.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
In the early 2000s it was shown that there are at least 10500 different configurations of the six compact dimensions, each theoretically undergirding a universe with different properties.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
That fear, undergirding all of our hard work.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
Instruments drift in and out, sometimes accreting into subtle polyrhythms or harmonies, and other times lightly undergirding Ederra’s gorgeous runs.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
While profits boomed in the US, the rest of the world wasn’t shabby either, undergirding calls to diversify away from American stocks into megacaps in Asia and Europe.
—Michael Msika, Bloomberg, 1 Mar. 2026
Capital expenditures—capex, meaning the big-ticket purchases that fund the data centers, servers, and power infrastructure undergirding the AI race—is fueling record-high, multi-trillion dollar tech valuations when investors think the spending is warranted.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026
OpenAI is at the heart of a web of deals undergirding the artificial intelligence boom that has helped power the entire stock market higher.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
In the early 2000s it was shown that there are at least 10500 different configurations of the six compact dimensions, each theoretically undergirding a universe with different properties.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
That fear, undergirding all of our hard work.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2026
Instruments drift in and out, sometimes accreting into subtle polyrhythms or harmonies, and other times lightly undergirding Ederra’s gorgeous runs.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
While profits boomed in the US, the rest of the world wasn’t shabby either, undergirding calls to diversify away from American stocks into megacaps in Asia and Europe.
—Michael Msika, Bloomberg, 1 Mar. 2026
Capital expenditures—capex, meaning the big-ticket purchases that fund the data centers, servers, and power infrastructure undergirding the AI race—is fueling record-high, multi-trillion dollar tech valuations when investors think the spending is warranted.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
Verb
-
At the time, the rapid adoption of personal email, internet access, and electronic payment, along with the emergence of e-commerce, had convinced me that technology would become more essential to powering our flywheel and sustaining our momentum and long-term prosperity.—
Clifford Hudson,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Sales have slowed in China, the biggest market, but exports are still rising, and manufacturers are betting on ultra-fast charging as a way of sustaining adoption momentum, Wood Mackenzie noted.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Other bills could lead to new relief for small businesses in the future, with lawmakers endorsing the creation of studies and working groups that will look at things like supporting artificial intelligence use by small businesses and tourism.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Legal departments also use it for contract review against standard terms, analyzing negotiation language, processing large document sets for relevant arguments, and supporting intellectual property monitoring.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Thailand’s core offering to international producers is a 30% cash rebate that Kangvalkulkij describes as carrying no spending cap and no cultural test – meaning productions are not required to incorporate Thai content.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 May 2026
-
The Boeing 787, which was carrying 231 passengers and 12 crew members, later continued to Chicago, the airline said.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
After their disappointing season, Belichick and his staff at UNC also took advantage of the transfer portal, bolstering key positions, edge rusher and tight end especially, to give them a better chance to improve.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
But Canada is focused on bolstering new alliances.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The memory underpinning those systems needs to hold up in one of the harshest environments imaginable.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
-
The robust reporting underpinning these characters gives Van Dyk a roadmap.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Missouri election officials are scrambling to unravel which congressional map to use in light of Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision upholding the map for now, but leaving the possibility open that it could be reversed.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
-
Schmon praises Cannes for upholding artistic excellence and the gains made so far by the fest’s programmers, but would like to see the festival engage more with organizations like hers.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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