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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sabotagesimple
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sabotagessimple
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have sabotagedperfect
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has sabotagedperfect
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am sabotagingprogressive
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are sabotagingprogressive
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is sabotagingprogressive
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have been sabotagingperfect progressive
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has been sabotagingperfect progressive
Past
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sabotagedsimple
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had sabotagedperfect
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was sabotagingprogressive
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were sabotagingprogressive
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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.
The purpose is to transform accountability into victimhood and failure into sabotage.
From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026
Ukrainians are frequently targeted for Russian sabotage recruitment across Europe.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday distanced himself from an alleged plot to sabotage investigations into his entourage and Socialist party that has intensified pressure on a government already beset by legal woes.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Setting up in Cairo in May 1943, Young’s brief was to cultivate local spy networks; gather intelligence; insert agents and operatives in Greece to guide the commandos; sabotage enemy infrastructure; and prepare for D-Day.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
The S.O.E. was a secret British organization tasked with carrying out acts of sabotage behind enemy lines all over Europe.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
