subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən 
-nyən
variants
or less commonly subterraneous
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-əs
-nyəs
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
a subterranean network of criminals
subterraneanly
adverb
or less commonly subterraneously
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Go Underground With Subterranean
A tunnel is a subterranean road or pathway, and a subway is a subterranean railway. The subterranean vaults at Fort Knox hold billions of dollars of gold reserves. Subterranean reservoirs called aquifers are tapped for water; in places where the pressure on the subterranean water is great enough, a hole drilled in the ground will bring it bubbling to the surface.
Examples of subterranean in a Sentence
a subterranean bunker that supposedly could withstand even an atomic blast
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s headquartered in the center of the city and leads its own subterranean tours.
—
Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
Resist imbibing the musical equivalent of slop bowls and drink from the subterranean spring.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025
Excised from the subterranean depths and lifted up to the surface, Paris forced you to look all this memory in the eye, at street level.
—Anelise Chen
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
The subterranean spa is a standout, with a 20-meter marble pool and cutting-edge wellness gadgets, including the city’s only hyperbaric chamber.
—Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
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Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
Resist imbibing the musical equivalent of slop bowls and drink from the subterranean spring.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025
Excised from the subterranean depths and lifted up to the surface, Paris forced you to look all this memory in the eye, at street level.
—Anelise Chen
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
The subterranean spa is a standout, with a 20-meter marble pool and cutting-edge wellness gadgets, including the city’s only hyperbaric chamber.
—Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subterranean
Cite this Entry
“Subterranean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subterranean. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subterranean
adjective
sub·ter·ra·nean
ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən
-nyən
1
: being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth
2
: existing or working in secret : hidden
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