undercut

[uhn-der-kuht, uhn-der-kuht, uhn-der-kuht]

verb (used with object)

undercut, undercutting 

1. to cut under or beneath.

2. to cut away material from so as to leave a portion overhanging, as in carving or sculpture.

3. to offer goods or services at a lower price or rate than (a competing price or rate) or than that of (a competitor).

4. to weaken or destroy the impact or effectiveness of; undermine.

5. Golf.,  to hit (the ball) so as to cause a backspin.

6. Tennis.,  to slice (the ball) using an underhand motion.

7. to cut (a sound recording) with grooves too shallow or with insufficient lateral motion of the stylus.

8. Forestry.,  to cut a notch in (a tree) in order to control the direction in which the tree is to fall.

verb (used without object)

undercut, undercutting 

1. to undercut material, a competitor, a ball, etc.

noun

1. a cut or a cutting away underneath.

2. a notch cut in a tree to determine the direction in which the tree is to fall and to prevent splitting.

3. a haircut for men or women in which one or both sides and often the back are shaved or cut very short, leaving longer hair at the top of the head.

   an undercut with a side part.

4. Golf.,  a backspin.

5. Tennis.,  a slice or cut made with an underhand motion.

6. Chiefly British.,  a tenderloin of beef including the fillet.

7. Dentistry.,  a tooth cavity prepared with a wide base for anchoring a filling securely.

adjective

1. having or resulting from an undercut.

undercut

verb

1. to charge less than (a competitor) in order to obtain trade

2. to cut away the under part of (something)

3. sport to hit (a ball) in such a way as to impart backspin

noun

1. the act or an instance of cutting underneath

2. a part that is cut away underneath

3. a tenderloin of beef, including the fillet

4. forestry a notch cut in a tree trunk, to ensure a clean break in felling

5. sport a stroke that imparts backspin to the ball

Word History and Origins

Origin of undercut¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English undercutten “to cut down”; under-, cut

Example Sentences

This observational approach is regularly undercut, unfortunately, by a heavy-handed soundtrack that makes the film feel less trustworthy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said other recent conduct by Pulte, who is director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, “undercut his criminal referrals concerning Governor Cook.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This runs a real risk of undercutting part of our humanity.

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He also said legal immigrants “are undercutting the wages of American workers.”

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The Commerce Department has been inspecting them since the mid-1990s, when it found that many importers were flooding the U.S. with pasta priced below normal market prices in a bid to undercut their U.S. competitors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• destabilize 
• diminish 
• lessen 
• thwart 
• undermine