as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supporting
to lie underneath
A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.
Related Words
2
as in grounding
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
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Recent Examples of underlying
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
While one or two things won't cause any harm, a collection of out-of-place items can quickly cause an underlying sense of feeling unsettled.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 4 Feb. 2026
Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
The sort of underlying assumption of the whole surge is that immigrants are criminals and immigrants and dangerous.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underlying
Adjective
By targeting the underlying neuronal degeneration, ER-100 is positioned as a potential disease-modifying treatment rather than a symptomatic fix.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
While one or two things won't cause any harm, a collection of out-of-place items can quickly cause an underlying sense of feeling unsettled.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
In such a material, there’s a limit on how extreme the underlying rules can get.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
The sort of underlying assumption of the whole surge is that immigrants are criminals and immigrants and dangerous.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underlying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlying
Adjective
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Crown Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, completed her basic military training last month as a volunteer reservist in the army.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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College faculty are then forced to spend instructional time reteaching basic math and writing, which detracts from the advanced material a college course is meant to deliver.—
Andrea Mays,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Saudi Arabi accused the UAE of supporting the separatists, and smuggling the STC leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who is wanted for treason, out of Yemen and flying him to Abu Dhabi.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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No one secretly wonders whether parents caused their kid’s epilepsy, or whether supporting an adult child with leukemia makes their condition worse.—
Coley Gallagher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the last two days, Ivey centered himself in faith and gratitude — two grounding principles for a player whose career was derailed in January 2025 by a gruesome leg injury.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Alexander Skarsgård, Harry Melling, and director Harry Lighton say this real-life biker gang was instrumental in grounding the movie.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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First signs of rudimentary Valentine notes began appearing much later, in the 1500s, according to Britannica.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The first is risk detection, which can be solved with more rudimentary machine learning.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion on Thursday establishing limits on when an outside investigation must take place following a Texas jail inmate’s death.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
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Trump signed an executive order in December to push for a single regulatory framework for AI, establishing a litigation task force to challenge state AI laws, namely those led by Democratic lawmakers.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In 2020, the district moved to a fully dual language model for elementary students, meaning all students learned in both English and Spanish, according to East Aurora Executive Director of Language Acquisition and Early Learning Rita Guzman, unless their parents opted out.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The native San Diegan spent his elementary years between Albuquerque, New Mexico and San Diego.—
Cyril A. Reinicke,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Industry insiders explained how the assortment of signals and models underpinning the algorithms are helping the sector navigate precious metals’ wild ride.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
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This true crime entry is an excellent example of the genre working to understand circumstances underpinning a crime rather than performing a grim recitation.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, Brooklyn posted the league’s best defensive rating in December while he was sidelined, reinforcing a direction that emphasized versatility, ball movement and defensive consistency.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Another option patients may pursue is to slowly taper off the drugs over about three to six months and to focus on reinforcing lifestyle choices that support goals for overall health and weight maintenance.—
Amy J. Sheer,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlying. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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