underneath 1 of 3

adverb

Definition of underneathnext
as in beneath
in or to a lower place the ball rolled under the porch, so you'll have to crawl underneath to get it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

underneath

2 of 3

adjective

as in under

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

underneath

3 of 3

preposition

as in below

Related Words

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 underneath
Adverb
One suggestion is to get a plastic keyboard cover to keep their beaks away from the keys themselves (although, as many in the thread also point out, parrots are smart enough to just take that cover off to get to the sweet, sweet keys underneath). — John Higgins, The Verge, 18 Aug. 2026 Multistory buildings and homes tumbled, trapping residents underneath. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Preposition
Lopez sprinted to third, rounded the bag and safely slid headfirst underneath a throw home from Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 This season, for the first time, Boise State will open a concession stand directly underneath the stands at the south end of the stadium, offering classic favorites such as hot dogs, burgers, sodas and beers. — Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underneath
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underneath
  1. beneath
  2. under
  3. below
  4. lower
  5. near
  6. nether
  7. along
Adverb
  • When that energy reaches the ground, some of it is converted into seismic waves that ripple through the soil and rock beneath.
    — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The orbiter completes a lunar polar orbit every two hours, as the moon rotates beneath.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of beneath
Adjective
  • Saquon Barkley is consulting with peers around the league, preparing for more under-center and outside-zone run concepts.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Two golfers were tied at 5-under, four at 4-under and nine at 3-under entering Friday’s action.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of under
Preposition
  • North Carolina’s average teacher salary for the 2023–24 school year was $58,292, ranking the state 43rd nationally and landing nearly $14,000 below the national average, according to the National Education Association.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The program came in below projections, netting about $50,000 after expenses.
    — Ubah Ali, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of below
Adjective
  • Despite those lower court rulings, the practice has continued nationally, said Gregory Chen, the senior director of government relations for the Immigration Lawyers Association.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 3 Sep. 2025
  • And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
Definition of lower
Preposition
  • Oswego avoided sending the ball near the speedy Konkey on kickoffs to prevent a repeat of last week’s scoring on a return.
    — Jerry Birchfield, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The mother and daughter are among 90 Americans missing after the devastating landslide and flood, which tore through steep mountain gorges near the Nepal-China border and surged downstream along a river, wiping out entire villages.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of near
Adjective
  • In fact, many of his customers come from these nether regions.
    — Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In the first episode back, Cranston stands completely nude as Kaczmarek’s Lois shaves his back and nether regions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of nether
Preposition
  • The 100-meter sprint in Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval brought together the world’s fastest runners, hurtling along at breakneck speed to shrieks of excitement from a captivated crowd.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the National Park Service said without providing details.
    — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of along

Browse Nearby Words

undermost
underneath
undernourished
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underneath.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underneath. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All