subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən 
-nyən
variants
or less commonly subterraneous
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-əs
-nyəs
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
a subterranean network of criminals
subterraneanly
adverb
or less commonly subterraneously
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Go Underground With Subterranean
A tunnel is a subterranean road or pathway, and a subway is a subterranean railway. The subterranean vaults at Fort Knox hold billions of dollars of gold reserves. Subterranean reservoirs called aquifers are tapped for water; in places where the pressure on the subterranean water is great enough, a hole drilled in the ground will bring it bubbling to the surface.
Examples of subterranean in a Sentence
a subterranean bunker that supposedly could withstand even an atomic blast
Recent Examples on the Web
North Milford Valley, in western Utah, is home to dormant volcanoes, subterranean lava deposits, and smatterings of obsidian—black volcanic glass—that Paiute peoples once collected for arrowheads and jewelry.
—
Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
For over 5 million years, this subterranean time capsule remained completely cut off from the rest of the world, hidden beneath a thick slab of limestone and clay.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
This unique creature, with a visible skull and specialized adaptations for cave life, was found in subterranean river systems.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
The missiles stabbed deep into the ground, obliterating two city blocks along with their target: Hezbollah’s subterranean headquarters, where Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader and a longtime nemesis for Israel, was meeting with his lieutenants.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
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Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
For over 5 million years, this subterranean time capsule remained completely cut off from the rest of the world, hidden beneath a thick slab of limestone and clay.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
This unique creature, with a visible skull and specialized adaptations for cave life, was found in subterranean river systems.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
The missiles stabbed deep into the ground, obliterating two city blocks along with their target: Hezbollah’s subterranean headquarters, where Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s leader and a longtime nemesis for Israel, was meeting with his lieutenants.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
Cite this Entry
“Subterranean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subterranean. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən
-nyən
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
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