as in underground
being, situated, or operating beneath the surface of the earth a sandy wasteland that gave little hint of its subsurface wealth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 subsurface The team is set to land near the lunar south pole because previous evidence suggests that the area may contain subsurface water ice, per Gizmodo. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2022 Shallow pools of subsurface water froze and fractured the surface again and again. Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 22 Apr. 2022 This is an important scientific mission tasked with searching for ice at the south pole and using a one-meter drill to prospect for subsurface samples. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2022 In Greenland, the ridges formed when shallow pools of subsurface water froze, thawed and refroze, fracturing the surface over time, the Guardian reports. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Apr. 2022 See All Example Sentences for subsurface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subsurface
Adjective
  • Weather permitting, chefs prepare cochinita pibil, perhaps the most iconic dish of the region, in an underground pit directly on the beach.
    Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • The second phase of redevelopment is expected to double the size of the Stockyards, adding three hotels, 300,000 square feet of commercial space, at least 295 units of multifamily housing and two underground parking garages.
    Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Naked mole rats – a social, subterranean cold-blooded mammal that looks like a hot dog with teeth – generate fevers in response to infection, despite their unusual physiology.
    Harry Bernheim, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
  • Rounding it all out: a lengthy double-gated driveway that passes between a pair of matching 2,000-square-foot carriage houses and over a bridge before emptying out at a circular motor court, along with an eight-car garage complemented by a subterranean six-car garage for all your toys.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subsurface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subsurface. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!