undermine

[ uhn-der-mahyn uhn-der-mahyn ]

verb (used with object)

, un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing.

1. to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
2. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.
3. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
4. to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.

undermine

/ ˌʌndəˈmaɪn /

verb

1. (of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)
2. to weaken gradually or insidiously

   their insults undermined her confidence

3. to tunnel or dig beneath

Derived Forms

• ˌunderˈminer, noun

Other Words From

• un·der·min·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of undermine¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English underminen; under-, mine ²

Example Sentences

About a month ago, we laid out five ways that Republicans are making it harder to vote and more generally undermining the electoral process in 2020.

From FiveThirtyEight

If we don’t, we run the risk of undermining public health in the US — and even more specifically undermining the entire vaccination program.

From Vox

Suggesting that one party is better than the other to our allies runs the risk of undermining our national position and credibility when the other party takes power.

From FiveThirtyEight

Cowan said they believe the initial changes aimed to undermine mail delivery and now workers fear more changes will be made to slow the Postal Service — and nobody will find out until it is too late.

From Voice of San Diego

“You can’t just chase dollars, otherwise we’d be undermining the authority” that GQ has when it comes to quality product recommendations, said Welch.

From Digiday

The most dangerous attacks are those that undermine your perceived strength.

From The Daily Beast

The ACLU and its allies are trying to undermine the holiday with lawsuits and annoying billboards.

From The Daily Beast

One lefty tweeter even complained that an invasion of icky American tourists would undermine “family values” in Cuba.

From The Daily Beast

We “undermine” our nature every time we use glasses or medicine, after all.

From The Daily Beast

His detractors tried to undermine his standing with Reagan, but he had support from an unlikely source—hard-line conservatives.

From The Daily Beast

The influence of the Jews had helped also to undermine heathenism and thus to prepare the ground for Christianity.

From Project Gutenberg

While an attempt is made to undermine his claim to wisdom, it will incidentally appear that wisdom was ascribed to him.

From Project Gutenberg

You remember it, Dean, I thought him a villain when I learned how he was trying to undermine you.

From Project Gutenberg

With cynical cruelty, he set himself to insult, to undermine, to mutilate it.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr J. (still seeking, as I could see, to undermine me in his friend's favour).

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• erode
• frustrate
• hurt
• impair
• ruin
• sabotage
• sap
• subvert
• threaten
• thwart
• torpedo
• undercut
• weaken
• wreck