as in underground
being, situated, or operating beneath the surface of the earth
a sandy wasteland that gave little hint of its subsurface wealth
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Example Sentences
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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
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
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Autonomous trams and underground trains operate in many European countries, and a variety of transportation vehicles move autonomously in closed environments such as factories and ports.—
Forrester,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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The plant spreads through underground rhizomes but can be propagated by seeds, stem cuttings, or divisions.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Subsurface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subsurface. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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