sabotage

American  

[sab-uh-tahzh, sab-uh-tahzh] / ˈsæb əˌtɑʒ, ˌsæb əˈtɑʒ /

noun

1. 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.

2. any undermining of a cause.

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verb (used with object)

sabotaged, sabotaging

1. to injure or attack by sabotage.

   Synonyms:

   cripple, vandalize, disable

sabotage British  

/ ˈsæbəˌtɑːʒ /

noun

1. the deliberate destruction, disruption, or damage of equipment, a public service, etc, as by enemy agents, dissatisfied employees, etc

2. any similar action or behaviour

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verb

1. (tr) to destroy, damage, or disrupt, esp by secret means

Other Word Forms

• unsabotaged
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

When one chase scene halts as the stop-motion pursuers squabble about their battle cry, the evident labor in the aside elbows us to run with the idea that movements sabotage themselves.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Qatar, a longstanding mediator in talks between Iran and the U.S., announced days after the war started that it had arrested three operatives recruited by the Revolutionary Guard to conduct sabotage activities.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Prosecutor Nomenarinera Mihamintsoa Ramanantsoa said the French national had been charged with multiple offences including criminal conspiracy and plotting to sabotage infrastructure such as power lines and thermal plants.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Germany, Kyiv's biggest provider of military aid, has been battling a surge of cyberattacks, as well as espionage and sabotage plots since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

In addition to teaching, König worked in a laboratory in Berlin, where he was busy creating new sabotage equipment.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• cripple
• destroy
• disrupt
• hamper
• hinder
• obstruct
• subvert
• torpedo
• undermine
• vandalize
• wreck