foundations

noun

plural of foundation
1
as in institutions
a public organization with a particular purpose or function donated to a foundation that supported cancer research

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in cornerstones
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests she had a good enough foundation in math to pursue an economics degree

Synonyms & Similar 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 foundations And the very foundations of Lunatic Fringe are shaking with the separation of Angie Katsanevas and Shawn Trujillo. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026 There are few foundations that deliver true full-coverage that still leaves skin looking like, well, skin—and the Teint Idole Ultra Wear Natural Matte Foundation is easily one of them. — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026 During construction, architect Pedro Rabassa found an 11th-century Moorish oven in the foundations. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Instead, younger donors are more likely to give through charitable trusts, family foundations, fundraising, and mentorship. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026 That means investing in durable foundations such as data, architecture, governance and security; shortening planning cycles; and being willing to stop funding initiatives that no longer create differentiated value. — Rahul Saluja, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Doing so would entail repairing cracks that admit water, maintaining the foundations of each section, applying a sealant to slow the weathering process, and keeping the encroachment of vegetation in check. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 That period also provided the foundations for where City currently sits within the top echelons of world soccer – having won the UEFA Champions League back in 2023 and winning four consecutive Premier Leagues from 2021 to 2024. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 While the British prevailed over the rebels, the uprising laid the foundations for African nationalism. — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundations
  1. institutions
  2. cornerstones
  3. institutes
  4. bases
  5. groups
  6. bedrocks
  7. grounds
Noun
  • Through regular exercises and strategic updates, districts and institutions can pinpoint and remedy potential gaps in their protocols before a real cyber emergency forces them to make high-stakes decisions under pressure.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable and that at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of institutions
Noun
  • Movie theaters like ours are the economic and cultural cornerstones of communities across this great nation — in all 50 states, in cities and towns, big and small.
    — Paul Gunsky, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In the 1950s and 1960s, suburban malls were explicitly designed as community cornerstones, complete with bustling food courts, movie theaters, arcades, and a smorgasbord of shops.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of cornerstones
Noun
  • The committee said the institutes are governed by Chinese law, are directed by Chinese-majority boards and are aligned with Chinese Communist Party security goals.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The cells will undergo electrical, thermal, and safety testing at Mercedes-Benz facilities and specialized external institutes.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of institutes
Noun
  • And lunar traffic is poised to increase greatly in the coming years, as both the United States and China aim to build bases near the moon's south pole.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Opponents to the Henoko plan argue that building another airfield on Okinawa would only perpetuate the island’s disproportionate share of bases.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bases
Noun
  • Nine of the 10 largest individual and family donors in CNBC’s overall top 20 groups are Republican-aligned, accounting for 86 cents of every dollar contributed by the top 10, according to CNBC’s analysis of FEC records.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Though professional society guidelines recommended against performing this biopsy on women 70 or older with early-stage cancer, other groups had reported that it was still being done.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of groups
Noun
  • The costs of health insurance are pushing small businesses — beloved by politicians and the bedrocks of entire communities — to a financial cliff.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 7 July 2026
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton also reflect on the bedrocks of our democracy, including the Electoral College and the peaceful transfer of power.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 June 2026
Definition of bedrocks
Noun
  • Ming Yang, a Chinese manufacturer, has already been blocked from building a factory in Scotland on national security grounds.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The house and its grounds form the backbone of filming locations, though certain spaces on the property were either too cramped or did not provide the right lighting for film production.
    — Juliet Izon, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of grounds

Browse Nearby Words

foundationless
foundations
founded
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Cite this Entry

“Foundations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundations. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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