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Synonyms

underbrush

American  
[uhn-der-bruhsh] / ˈʌn dərˌbrʌʃ /
Also underbush

noun

  1. shrubs, saplings, low vines, etc., growing under the large trees in a wood or forest.

underbrush British  
/ ˈʌndəˌbrʌʃ /

noun

  1. undergrowth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of underbrush

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; under- + brush 2

Vocabulary lists containing underbrush

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.

Unimpressed, a group of tweens on the walk delved deeper into the rain-soaked underbrush, pointing out specimens faster than Purry could identify them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

The golf ball and his body hit the ground hard at the same time after he shanks one into the underbrush.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2025

Forest Service uses infrared technology to monitor fires underbrush for sometimes weeks after a blaze is contained.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025

The trail itself is notably thick with underbrush and can be junglelike in some spots, especially once you descend into Robe Canyon itself.

From Seattle Times • May 16, 2024

I kept falling over rocks and logs, bumping into trees, and getting all tangled up in the underbrush.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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.