London is such a large city that visitors must use buses and the underground railway to get about.
Source: tatoeba (29275)
Underground
/ˌʌndəˈɡɹaʊnd/
Synonyms for "underground" (315 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (63)
Noun(12 words)
metroresistancesubwaysubway systemtubebasementbelow groundbootleggingcellcellarclandestineclandestine group
abstruseagreement to disagreealienatedalienationalternativeamtrakantiestablishmentapostasyat oddsat odds withat restat varianceat variance withavant-gardeback doorback stairsback wayback-doorbackstairsbaggage train
Show 27 more words
becloudedbehind the curtainbehind the scenesbehind the veilblindbolt holebolt-holebranchbreakawayburiedbushfighterbushwhackercable railroadcable railwaycasualcharleychoo choochoo-chooclandestineclosecloudedcog railroadcog railwaycollaborationistcollaboratorconcealedcounter culture
Adjective(3 words)
Verb(1 words)
bury the dead
Strong matches (95)
counter-culturecoveredcovertcovert waycovertlycryptodeep-burieddifferencedifferingdisaccorddisagreeingdisagreementdisapprobationdisapprovaldisparitydissatisfactiondissensiondissentdissentiencedissentient
Show 65 more words
dissentingdissidencedissidentdiversitydropping outeclipsedelelectricelectric railwayelectric trainelevatedelevated railwayembankmentescalier derobeescape hatchescape routeexperimentalexpressexpress trainextremistsfeederfeeder linefelinefellow travelerfifth columnfifth columnistflierflyerfraternizerfreightfreight trainfreighterfunicularfurtivegoods traingravity-operated railwayguerillasguerrillahidhiddenhidlingshole-and-cornerhorse railwayhugger muggerhugger-muggerin a cloudin a cornerin a fogin a whisperin darknessin eclipsein hidlingsin oppositionin purdahin secretin the backgroundin the darkin the wingsincommunicadoinsurgentsinsurrectionistsinterurbanirregularjunctionl
Adjective(4 words)
Related words (157)
latentlight railroadlightning expresslimitedlinelocalmain linemaquismaquisardmetromilk trainminority opinionmonorailmysteriousnobody the wisernonagreementnonassentnonconcurrencenonconformingnonconformist
Show 116 more words
nonconformitynonconsentobfuscatedobscureobscuredoccultopposingoppositionparliamentaryparliamentary trainpartisanpassenger trainprivateprivyquietrack railwayrack-and-pinion railroadrack-and-pinion railwayradicalrailrail linerailroadrailroad trainrailwayrattlerreconditerecusancerecusancyrecusantrejectionrepudiationresistanceresistance fighterresting in peacerevolutionaryroadbedroadwayrolling stocksaboteurschismaticalsecessionsecludedseclusesecretsecret exitsecret passagesecret staircasesecretlysectariansectarysecurity risksequesteredshiftyshuttleshuttle trainside doorsidetracksidingskulkingslinkingslinkyslysneakingsneakysotto vocespecialstealthystreamlinerstreet railwaystreetcar linesub rosasubterraneansubterraneoussubversivesubversivessubwaysunkensurreptitiousswitchbackterminalterminustracktraintramtramlinetrestletrojan horsetrolley linetrunktrunk linetubeturnoutunder an eclipseunder coverunder house arrestunder the breathunder the roseunder wrapsunder-the-counterunder-the-tableundercoverunderfootunderground fighterunderground railroadunderground routeunderhandunderhandedunknownunobtrusivevariancevcvietcongway trainwith bated breathwithdrawalwrapped in clouds
Noun(18 words)
metrosmrtnetworkpimpingrail systemsecretivesecretlyspeakeasysubsurfacesubsurface watersubterraneansubterranean transittombunderbelliesunderground railunregulated marketunregulated practicevault
Adjective(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: metro, resistance, subway, subway system, tube.
- Sentence evidence is available for underground, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "underground".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "underground"
Keep "underground" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "underground" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "underground", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "underground" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
25 entriesShowing 16 of 25 words.
More specific
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
Collocations
13 entriesgo undergroundunderground caveunderground cityunderground economyunderground mineunderground movementunderground parkingunderground railroadunderground riverunderground spaceunderground stationunderground transitunderground tunnel
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
25 total sentences available.
In the London underground there is a warning to "mind the gap" when boarding the train.
Source: tatoeba (29280)
Tom stood on the platform in Westminster Underground Station.
Source: tatoeba (37062)
The plant has an underground stem.
Source: tatoeba (46169)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "underground"?
Closest matches include metro, resistance, subway, subway system, tube.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "underground"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.