sabotage
Americannoun
-
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.
-
any undermining of a cause.
verb (used with object)
-
sabotages,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sabotaged,
past participle, past
-
sabotaging
present participle
noun
-
the deliberate destruction, disruption, or damage of equipment, a public service, etc, as by enemy agents, dissatisfied employees, etc
-
any similar action or behaviour
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sabotagesimple
-
sabotagessimple
-
have sabotagedperfect
-
has sabotagedperfect
-
am sabotagingprogressive
-
are sabotagingprogressive
-
is sabotagingprogressive
-
have been sabotagingperfect progressive
-
has been sabotagingperfect progressive
Past
-
sabotagedsimple
-
had sabotagedperfect
-
was sabotagingprogressive
-
were sabotagingprogressive
-
had been sabotagingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Recognizing its importance to Germany's nuclear ambitions, Allied forces targeted the plant through sabotage and bombing operations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Moscow has orchestrated sabotage attacks across Europe since invading Ukraine, often using unwitting recruits hired via social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Grynkewich elaborated what he called his "theory of victory" to defeat an armed attack on the alliance as worries surge over what Western officials call a "hybrid" campaign of sabotage and interference by Moscow.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
That’s according to the veteran stock-market strategist Jim Paulsen, who thinks tightening financial conditions may sabotage that usually fertile stretch.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
“Any rumblings around about somebody trying to sabotage the Saigon government’s attitude certainly have no, absolutely no credibility as far as I’m concerned.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Ms. Moyer-Nocchi repeatedly, bewilderingly sabotages her considerable achievements by not bothering to get small but significant particulars right.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
“Psychological research has shown us that panic amplifies helplessness and sabotages rational thought,” Michael Valdez, an expert in neurology and addictive behaviors, told Salon.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2025
Whether in Violet’s hand or buzzing on the table, it sabotages her ability to converse; it’s an exaggeration of how a tool intended to connect people wedges them apart.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025
Ankara said the one-sided declaration was “a step that sabotages the normalization process.”
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024
"Then the Earthman—I mean the Earthman who sabotages the rockets—has to be a part of the technical staff," Rick said.
From The Scarlet Lake Mystery by Harold L. (Harold Leland) Goodwin
According to police, the suspect is believed to have sabotaged the payment system via a cyber attack, getting the system to authorise his transaction after entering only one cent as the charged amount.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Grantham’s latest bearish case is that U.S. stocks could be sabotaged this year by an overheated IPO market.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 17, 2026
Finnish investigators would later suggest the Cook Islands-flagged vessel -- allegedly part of Russia's shadow fleet -- had sabotaged the cables by dragging its anchor across the seabed.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
Todt died in an air crash shortly afterward, leading to suspicions that his plane had been sabotaged, though these have never been proved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
Is that how she sabotaged me and Hel?
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Andrew Tate’s former publicist says her client couldn’t stop sabotaging his own strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Barrot said the attacks targeted government ministries, companies, and service operators, with the aim "either of capturing information or sabotaging operations, for example rail infrastructure, as was the case in Poland".
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Inside the legal system, though, McLaughlin is known for something else: Actively sabotaging the Department of Homeland Security in court through her crass, often false public statements.
From Slate ● Feb. 18, 2026
In pursuit of perfection, Kelly, who faces Bakhram Murtazaliev for the IBF light-middleweight world title in Newcastle on Saturday, was sabotaging his chances of success.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
Sarai felt sick—not just at the idea that Minya might be sabotaging her lull, but to think that she would manipulate Great Ellen, who was almost like a mother to them.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
