undermine
verb (used with object)
to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
has been undermining
-
present perfect progressiveof undermine (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
The national currency, the rial, has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year, while double-digit hyperinflation has been undermining Iranians' purchasing power for years.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
“This period is very important for creating a different atmosphere in workplaces, where we move away from an environment that has been undermining workers for far too long,” Weil told me in a telephone interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2022
With many health professionals frantically urging Americans to be vaccinated, the health industry has been undermining that message through its own poor uptake.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2021
The result has been more crude oil available in the market, worsening a glut that has been undermining oil prices for the past year and a half.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2016
But it is left with the same basic problem that has been undermining Russian ballet since the 1940s or earlier: choreography that is at best unremarkable and at worst dismaying.
From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2014
