undergird
Americanverb (used with object)
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to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around.
to undergird a top-heavy load.
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to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis.
ethics undergirded by faith.
verb
Etymology
Origin of undergird
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.
See Examples For:
High stock valuations and low unemployment, meanwhile, have bolstered spending among richer households while allowing Americans of more modest means to spend at levels adequate to undergird a six-year-old expansion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
The entire post-war economic world order was organized by the U.S. and a handful of allies, along with the institutions that undergird global commitments to human rights and international law.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
They also undergird yields on the corporate bonds that companies use for funding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Insider-trading rules backed by criminal penalties undergird confident stock trading.
From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026
“Repair it, uncle! how can—” “Never mind just now, hand out a blanket, quick; I’ll explain after; we must undergird her and keep out as much water as we can.”
From The Giant of the North Pokings Round the Pole by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
But Mr. Hunter’s economy of means, which extends to often terse or quiet dialogue undergirded by melancholy subtext, only enhances the tenderness and humanity of his writing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Rosen: Our journey into Dean’s interior world showed that those feats were undergirded by his need to face his fears through a really elaborate process, with all his planning and then doing it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
Yet complacency, undergirded by the remarkable strength of the stock market, is precisely what U.S. leaders are showing.
From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026
Day center activities are undergirded with building relationships because, as Towey explains, “relationship is what drives outcomes and impact.”
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2024
I devoured the books because they were the rays of light peeking out from the doorframe, and perhaps past that door there was another world, one beyond the gripping fear that undergirded the Dream.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Yet the factors undergirding the market’s comeback are both relatively straightforward and well-grounded in fundamentals, according to Société Générale strategist Manish Kabra.
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
The premise undergirding the campaign was that lazy, childish men should be the leaders of society, not just despite but because they won't do the work to earn it.
From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2024
The web-based tool, and the methods undergirding its creation, appears in the journal Science Advances.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 7, 2024
But pop the hood on this bad boy and there’s an undeniable cynicism undergirding this vehicle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
The fireplace, the beams undergirding the loft, the tools dangling off nails on the walls.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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