underpin

U1N1D2E1R1P3I1N1
UK/ˌʌn.dəˈpɪn/Canada, US/ˌʌn.dɚˈpɪn/Australia/ˌɐn.dəˈpɪn/New Zealand/ˌɐn.dəˈpən/

verb

To support from below with props or masonry.

“Public confidence in politicians must underpin our democracy.”

Similar
underliecorroboratebear outsupport
OriginEnglish pin ← Middle English pinne ← Old English pinn →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

verbunderpin (third-person singular simple present underpins, present participle underpinning, simple past and past participle underpinned)

present singular third person underpins · participle present underpinning · participle past underpinned · past underpinned

  1. transitiveTo support from below with props or masonry.

    You should underpin the mine roof to prevent further collapse.

  2. figurativelytransitiveTo give support to; to form a basis of; to corroborate.

    Public confidence in politicians must underpin our democracy.

    2 more examples

    Since Rupert Murdoch famously bet the farm on Premier League football to rescue Sky TV in 1991, it has been the catnip that has underpinned subscriber loyalty and, even in a far more complicated media landscape, is seen as so vital as to be worth almost any price.

    2016 October 24, Owen Gibson, “Is the unthinkable happening – are people finally switching the football off?”, in The Guardian, London

    The operator said the results were underpinned by a 16% increase in Q3 sales from North America.

    2019 November 6, “Eurostar reports another increase in passengers”, in Rail, page 25

    Synonyms: underlie

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo give support to; to form a basis of; to corroborate.

Similar
underlie

More synonyms by meaning

verbsupport with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm

Similar
corroboratebear outsupport
Broader
matchfitcorrespond
Also see
bear outcorroborateshore upsupportunderlie

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
  4. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
  5. Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
  6. Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
  7. Proto-Germanic*under
  8. Proto-West Germanic*undar
  9. Old Englishunder-
  10. Middle Englishunder-
  11. Englishunder-
  12. Proto-Germanic*pinnaz
  13. Proto-West Germanic*pinn
  14. Old Englishpinn
  15. Middle Englishpinne
  16. Englishpin
  17. Englishunderpin

From under- + pin.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian подпирам, укрепвам
  • подпирам (podpiram)To support from below with props or masonry
  • укрепвам (ukrepvam)To support from below with props or masonry
  • поддържам (poddăržam)To give support to
Chinese Mandarin 支撐 /支撑
  • 支撐 /支撑 (zhīchēng)To give support to
Czech podepřít, podepřít
  • podepřítTo support from below with props or masonry
  • podepřítTo give support to
Dutch funderen, schragen
  • funderenTo support from below with props or masonry
  • schragenTo support from below with props or masonry
  • ondersteunenTo give support to
  • dragenTo give support to
  • schragenTo give support to
Finnish tukea, pönkittää
  • tukeaTo support from below with props or masonry
  • pönkittääTo support from below with props or masonry
  • tukeaTo give support to
  • pönkittääTo give support to
French étayer, étayer
  • étayerTo support from below with props or masonry
  • étayerTo give support to
  • supporterTo give support to
  • soutenirTo give support to
German untermauern, stützen
  • untermauernTo support from below with props or masonry
  • stützenTo support from below with props or masonry
  • unterstützenTo give support to
  • stützenTo give support to
  • untermauernTo give support to
Italian sostenere, sorreggere
  • sostenereTo support from below with props or masonry
  • sorreggereTo support from below with props or masonry
  • sostenereTo give support to
  • sorreggereTo give support to
  • informareTo give support to
Polish podtrzymywać, podtrzymywać
  • podtrzymywaćTo support from below with props or masonry
  • podtrzymywaćTo give support to
Portuguese escorar, sustentar
  • escorarTo support from below with props or masonry
  • sustentarTo give support to
  • fundamentarTo give support to
  • respaldarTo give support to
  • embasarTo give support to
Russian укреплять, усиливать
  • укреплять (ukrepljatʹ)To support from below with props or masonry
  • усиливать (usilivatʹ)To support from below with props or masonry
  • подде́рживать (poddérživatʹ)To give support to
Spanish apuntalar, sustentar
  • apuntalarTo support from below with props or masonry
  • sustentarTo support from below with props or masonry
  • respaldarTo give support to
  • sustentarTo give support to
Swedish stödja, stötta
  • stödjaTo support from below with props or masonry
  • stöttaTo support from below with props or masonry
  • stödjaTo give support to
  • stöttaTo give support to

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Prundeni
Cite this entry
APA

underpin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underpin

MLA

“underpin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underpin. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underpin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underpin.

Source: underpin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.