undergirding

present participle of undergird
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the theory of evolution undergirds virtually all of modern biology

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 undergirding This week, Ars hosted a live discussion with Ross Scott about the Stop Killing Games movement and its ongoing efforts to ensure that games remain playable even after the original publisher shuts down the online servers undergirding them. Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026 The gain helps cement Microsoft’s Azure as a leading cloud giant behind Amazon Web Services, and as one of the most prominent providers of the infrastructure undergirding the AI era. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 29 July 2026 Beyond the commercial aspect, the assumptions undergirding death positivity have begun to feel nearly as outdated as putting lipstick on a corpse. John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 But for hardcore believers, this didn’t mean that the philosophy undergirding the Soviet experiment was wrong. Literary Hub, 21 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undergirding
Verb
  • More than any position group, the Terps’ weakness right now is just sustaining success – for a full season or even a full 60 minutes in big games.
    Noah Trister, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Ariana Grande will take the stage in London tonight in comfortable footwear rather than her signature heels after sustaining a minor injury.
    Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Moon trines your ruler Mercury in your sign, supporting careful edits, useful explanations, and conversations that stay on track.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In a declaration supporting their complaint, Becker noted that California is mulling a bill, SB 813, that would establish a process where independent organizations would set baselines for AI safety standards.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Washington claimed that the launchers were preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Hormuz Strait.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Two supertankers carrying Saudi oil were struck on Monday, undermining the White House’s claims that the Strait of Hormuz is safe for navigation.
    Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The county brought the team to continue bolstering A Home for All’s work.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The World Bank has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into grants for modernizing the Syrian financial sector, restoring water access, and bolstering its healthcare system.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Shalini Adnani’s poignant coming-of-age drama Our Share of Sand presents a unique perspective on India’s gaping class inequality, child labor and the deep corruption underpinning a family’s economic status.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the economic particulars underpinning this needless antagonism essentially are beside the point.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • God has created and knows only the spiritual universe, in which divine law reigns and rules, upholding all that is good and true.
    The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Banchi Hanuse works across film and radio as a co-founder of Nuxalk Radio, supporting Nuxalk language revitalization, upholding Nuxalk Nationhood and advocating for stewardship of Nuxalk homelands.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Undergirding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undergirding. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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