sabotage
Americannoun
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any underhand interference with production, work, etc., in a plant, factory, etc., as by enemy agents during wartime or by employees during a trade dispute.
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any undermining of a cause.
verb (used with object)
noun
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the deliberate destruction, disruption, or damage of equipment, a public service, etc, as by enemy agents, dissatisfied employees, etc
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any similar action or behaviour
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sabotage
First recorded in 1865–70; from French, from sabot(er) “to botch,” originally, “to harry, shake up, strike” (verb derivative of sabot sabot ) + -age -age
Explanation
Sabotage isn't very nice: It's when you ruin or disrupt something by messing up a part of it on purpose. Loosening the blades on your competitor's ice skates would definitely be considered sabotage. Sabotage comes from the French word saboter, which literally means “walk noisily.” That's funny, because the last thing you'd want to do when committing an act of sabotage is stomp around and get caught. It’s believed that sabotage came into use in 1910 as a noun, and then later in 1918 as a verb. Apparently, people only became so cruel in the last century or so.
Vocabulary lists containing sabotage
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Significantly, Sabotage was the first song she wrote for the record, before working backwards to the more romantic moments.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Sabotage attacks also have damaged Iranian nuclear sites.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2023
Sabotage, for instance, “does not lend itself to a statistical evaluation.”
From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2022
“We have received a lot of positive feedback about translating the ‘OSS Simple Sabotage Manual’ into Ukrainian.
From Washington Times • Mar. 15, 2022
Sabotage had the added virtue of requiring the least manpower.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
