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:
In June he revealed a state budget measure that capped how much in tax credits a business can claim each year, a limit industry groups warned would undercut the expanded program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Retailers like private-label products because they allow the chains to undercut competitors on price, control production and advertising costs, and deliver fatter margins, retail analysts say.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
On the campaign trail, Siegmund -- a former entrepreneur with a sharp undercut hairstyle and a huge social media following -- has been mobbed by adoring fans, many wearing T-shirts bearing his likeness.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
The deal is also raising alarms within the industry about whether a new Venezuelan government could mount a successful legal challenge, and whether it might undercut new entrants’ confidence in making investments, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
This stream did not seem to have any calm water, and I must have walked a thousand miles before I found a pool by a deep undercut bank in the shade of overhanging bushes.
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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
James Egelhof, chief U.S. economist at BNP Paribas, said this undercuts the Fed’s strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
We profited by his instructions as to guards and undercuts by practising with models whittled in wood.
From A Tatter of Scarlet Adventurous Episodes of the Commune in the Midi 1871 by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett
Unfortunately, Birkin hunting is undercutting some of the good work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
This serves their goals of undercutting both their target’s work and the institutions they represent.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
The Chinese challengers Seedance, Kling and Alibaba’s HappyHorse have rapidly closed the gap on cinematic realism and have upstaged their American rivals by undercutting them on cost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
There might be an even bigger competitive threat in the form of Chinese AI entrants undercutting the entire market.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 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.
