How to Use at the root of in a Sentence

at the root of

idiom
Definition of at the root ofnext
  • Ukraine’s wish to join the E.U. is at the root of the Kremlin’s war.
    — Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
  • To use the tool, start at the root of your wet hair and slowly drag it down.
    — Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 22 Dec. 2023
  • That was at the root of works like Salvador and Platoon.
    — Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2023
  • But while the strength of the players’ feeling is not in doubt, what lies at the root of it is less clear.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2023
  • Find out what’s at the root of his thinking on this topic.
    — Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
  • The pitching staff would be at the root of the next two World Series titles, too.
    — Evan Grant, Dallas News, 10 Aug. 2023
  • But the earnestness at the root of this directness is the great strength of Bedford Falls.
    — Jack Butler, National Review, 25 Dec. 2023
  • The long nozzle helps to get in between each braid or cornrow to break up the gunk that forms at the root of your hair.
    — Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 10 Sep. 2022
  • Others counter that efforts like the teacher calm rooms don’t get at the root of the problem.
    — Kalia Yee, oregonlive, 26 June 2023
  • For Earl, this was at the root of his frustration with Iger’s comments.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2023
  • Microbes are at the root of healthy soil, the root of animal digestion and the root of, well, roots.
    — Julia Skinner, Longreads, 16 July 2022
  • What is at the root of the strange occurrences at Skinwalker Ranch?
    — Brenda Cain, cleveland, 25 July 2023
  • If there is a health issue at the root of this outburst, adding to her distress feels cruel.
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2022
  • Indeed, habits are at the root of success, but also of failure.
    — Xavier Preterit, Forbes, 3 May 2023
  • Vague school rules are at the root of millions of student suspensions.
    — USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
  • Still, the movie is smart enough to ask: How much denial and self-interest are at the root of Sharon’s selflessness?
    — Jen Yamato, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024
  • Before the panic about the role of outsiders in the protests, the complaint was that left-wing professors were at the root of student anger.
    — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024
  • So, if bad brain chemistry isn’t at the root of chronic depression, what is?
    — Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 23 May 2024
  • Some allies have urged him to forge a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the war at the root of the latest troubles in the Middle East.
    — USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
  • Differences such as these could be at the root of stuttering.
    — Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021
  • There is reason in the mix of consumer spending also to doubt the durability of the consumer splurge at the root of all the good news.
    — Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
  • Making more money, and being able to play more games, thus keeping her skills sharp in the off-season, is at the root of why Griner went to Russia.
    — Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2022
  • The energy of uncertainty is at the root of all your forms of anxiety.
    — Julia Digangi, Fortune Well, 29 Aug. 2023
  • The idea that one process could be at the root of numerous diseases is powerful to many scientists.
    — Laura Ungar, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2022
  • That’s exactly what’s at the root of the fear Kaho experiences.
    — Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
  • Epiglottis, which is a flap of cartilage at the root of the tongue that is depressed during swallowing to cover the opening of the windpipe.
    — Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2022
  • Beyond policy, there are design issues at the root of some of these problems.
    — Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2022
  • The glass is transparent at the root of this blossoming dream, the fruits of their labor, sacrifice, and migration clear to see.
    — Melissah Yang, refinery29.com, 16 May 2022
  • Ask your dentist if that’s at the root of your problems; if so, you’ll likely be referred to an orthodontist for treatment like Invisalign or braces.
    — Angela Haupt, TIME, 25 July 2024
  • Larger platform changes such as ranking content based on quality, rather than engagement, might hit at the root of the problem rather being than a Band-Aid fix.
    — Jennifer Allen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at the root of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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