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WOTD: underlie

Posted on February 16, 2021January 27, 2021 by Wordsmyth

transitive verb

1. to be situated under; lie under or beneath.
Concrete underlies the floor boards.

2. to be the foundation or basis of.
That siblings should stay together is one of the principles that underlies our adoption policy.
What were the motivating factors that underlay this act of aggression?
Let’s look at the evidence that underlies the author’s argument.

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