undergird
verb
Acts 27:17 (Revised Standard Version)Susan Q. Stranahan
Did you know?
When undergird was a new word in the 16th century, it was ships that were undergirded—that is, made secure below—and the undergirding was done by passing a rope or chain underneath. That literal sense has long since fallen out of use, but in the 19th century undergird picked up the figurative “strengthen” or “support” meaning that we still use. Centuries before anything was undergirded, however, people and things could be girded—that is, encircled or bound with a flexible band, such as a belt. Girding today is more often about preparing oneself to fight or to do something difficult, as in “girding themselves for an ideological battle.” About as old as gird is the word’s close relation, girdle, which originally referred to an article of clothing that circles the body usually at the waist; the girdles of today address the same anatomical territory but with the squeezy aim of making the waist look thinner. Gird also gives us girder, a noun referring to a horizontal piece supporting a structure.
Examples of undergird in a Sentence
Marybeth Gasman, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Mezcal undergirds Soto’s pozole verde cocktail, To Greener Days, an homage to her late father’s favorite dish from Guerrero.
—Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2025
While Danaher, currently led by CEO Rainer Blair, has seen its business enter a rough patch this year, its demonstrated ability to wisely allocate capital undergirds the Club’s long-term belief in the company.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
Because undergirding it all is their upended worlds.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for undergird
Cite this Entry
“Undergird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergird. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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undergird
verb
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