undercut
Americanverb (used with object)
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undercuts,
present (3rd person singular)
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undercut,
past participle, past
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undercutting
present participle
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to cut under or beneath.
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to cut away material from so as to leave a portion overhanging, as in carving or sculpture.
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to offer goods or services at a lower price or rate than (a competing price or rate) or than that of (a competitor).
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to weaken or destroy the impact or effectiveness of; undermine.
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Golf. to hit (the ball) so as to cause a backspin.
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Tennis. to slice (the ball) using an underhand motion.
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to cut (a sound recording) with grooves too shallow or with insufficient lateral motion of the stylus.
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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)
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undercuts,
present (3rd person singular)
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undercut,
past participle, past
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undercutting
present participle
noun
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a cut or a cutting away underneath.
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a notch cut in a tree to determine the direction in which the tree is to fall and to prevent splitting.
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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.
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Golf. a backspin.
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Tennis. a slice or cut made with an underhand motion.
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Chiefly British. a tenderloin of beef including the fillet.
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Dentistry. a tooth cavity prepared with a wide base for anchoring a filling securely.
adjective
verb
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to charge less than (a competitor) in order to obtain trade
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to cut away the under part of (something)
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sport to hit (a ball) in such a way as to impart backspin
noun
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the act or an instance of cutting underneath
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a part that is cut away underneath
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a tenderloin of beef, including the fillet
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forestry a notch cut in a tree trunk, to ensure a clean break in felling
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sport a stroke that imparts backspin to the ball
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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undercutsimple
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undercutssimple
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have undercutperfect
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has undercutperfect
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am undercuttingprogressive
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are undercuttingprogressive
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is undercuttingprogressive
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have been undercuttingperfect progressive
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has been undercuttingperfect progressive
Past
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undercutsimple
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had undercutperfect
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was undercuttingprogressive
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were undercuttingprogressive
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had been undercuttingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undercut
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English undercutten “to cut down”; see under-, cut
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:
The Society of Maritime Industries says foreign yards are typically able to undercut UK-based shipbuilders by 10-20% due to a mix of cheaper labour and better state support.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
She continued: "As registered waste carriers, we're being undercut by unlicensed people who aren't being responsible about where the waste goes, and that's why there's so much fly-tipping."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
That is meant to ensure that companies don’t declare imports at one price but then turn around and sell them at a lower one, which could undercut the effectiveness of the tariffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
We undercut the hotels and some of the other listings in our area by $100.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“It was my account! Mine! How dare you undercut my price!”
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
That detail undercuts the hard-luck narrative surrounding Bardella's early years which he would later use to appeal to a wider electorate.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
These are hardly examples of the court showing TLC for criminal defendants, and it undercuts Thomas’ claims on Monday.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
But health concerns have helped power a solar backlash that undercuts efforts to broaden energy sources even as customer costs are rising.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
“It undercuts all of the values and standards and principles that were already being prioritized and implemented in federal agencies,” Barbati-Dajches said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
The original is first surrounded with a case or frame of sheet metal or other suitable material, and a negative cast is taken with some elastic material, if there are undercuts; the inventor uses agar-agar.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 433, April 19, 1884 by Various
With less of a coastal buffer, any large waves that come in “will have even greater impact on the shoreline, with more likelihood of flooding and undercutting of cliffs,” he added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Smaller breweries are also blocked from supermarket sales due to price undercutting.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
That led Judge Perry to retort: “You are significantly undercutting your mea culpa here by standing behind the charges and continuing to vilify these particular defendants.”
From Slate ● May 22, 2026
The job market has shown signs of stabilizing, further undercutting the case for easing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
He was holding the Lombard back and shouting, “You offer a usurious rate! Forty percent! Forty! My uncle offered thirty. Thirty is reasonable! Thirty is standard! But thirty is undercutting now?”
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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.
