underneath

American  

[uhn-der-neeth, -neeth] / ˌʌn dərˈniθ, -ˈnið /

preposition

1. below the surface or level of; directly or vertically beneath; at or on the bottom of.

2. under the control of; in a lower position in a hierarchy of authority.

   Underneath the department heads are the junior executives.

3. hidden, disguised, or misrepresented, as by a false appearance or pretense.

   Underneath his bluster is a timid nature.

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adverb

1. below; at a lower level or position; on the underside.

adjective

1. lower; situated below or under.

noun

1. the bottom; underside; lowest part.

underneath British  

/ ˌʌndəˈniːθ /

preposition

1. under; beneath

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adjective

1. lower

noun

1. a lower part, surface, etc

Etymology

Origin of underneath

before 900; Middle English undernethe, Old English underneothan. See under, beneath

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

underneath

“Our second-quarter results were defined by a fuel spike outside our control – but underneath it, this company is executing better than ever,” Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The goal of Tinker is to allow a developer sitting at a laptop to customize and train large industrial AI models without having to worry about the supercomputing infrastructure underneath.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Here is what the ad is actually selling, underneath the flags and the engines and the whole arsenal of American noise: masculinity as a thing you can purchase and perform.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

The technology typically involves installing devices underneath each solar panel, and each device and its connections pose a risk of failure, which could spark a fire, the report found.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Even with the camper underneath it, the tree was only a few inches off the ground.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret