underneath
Americanpreposition
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below the surface or level of; directly or vertically beneath; at or on the bottom of.
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under the control of; in a lower position in a hierarchy of authority.
Underneath the department heads are the junior executives.
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hidden, disguised, or misrepresented, as by a false appearance or pretense.
Underneath his bluster is a timid nature.
adverb
adjective
noun
preposition
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of underneath
before 900; Middle English undernethe, Old English underneothan. See under, beneath
Vocabulary lists containing underneath
"Eleven"
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"Eleven," Vocabulary from the short story
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: under-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We saw walls collapsing, the floors opening up. And then water and mud began spurting up from underneath the flooring."
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
“I wanted it to be a piece showing kind of the dark side of the World Cup, because there’s so many things that are buried underneath the whole spectacle,” Harelly said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
And right underneath the hotel is a bar called Le Lounge, which has some of the best drinks in the city.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Meagan adds that she enjoys the juxtaposition of the "bravado" of ice hockey mixed with the characters' "vulnerability underneath".
From BBC • May 30, 2026
They appear perfectly still, seated on their shortboards, but underneath the water their feet are kicking and churning.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
