- present participle of undermine.
undermining
Americannoun
-
the act or process of injuring, attacking, or destroying something or someone indirectly or by imperceptible degrees, often leading to a dramatic collapse.
The undermining of Scottish Gaelic as a viable language resulted not from decrees, but from a gradual weakening of independent Scottish institutions.
-
the act or process of weakening something or causing it to collapse by removing its underlying support, as by erosion.
During the heavy rains, blocked sewers caused the flooding of the basement and the undermining of the wall by water.
-
the act of digging or tunneling underneath something, as a military stronghold.
The siege works were now close enough to allow the undermining of some of the bastions of the fortress.
adjective
-
weakening something or someone gradually or indirectly.
Seating students in rows, so they cannot see each other’s faces, has an undermining effect on their engagement.
-
digging or tunneling underneath something, or removing or eroding its underlying support.
The land along the shoreline collapsed because of undermining waves and currents.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of undermining
First recorded in 1350–1400; undermin(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; undermin(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses
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 unexplained, silent changing of casualty statistics - for both the wounded and the dead - was criticised as undermining transparency.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
She also said “the claim that Mr. Bisignano’s growing responsibilities at JPMorgan were accompanied by a pattern of undermining colleagues is patently untrue and inaccurate.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
"I believe these amendments carry the risk of undermining public support for the symbolic Emperor system."
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
The whole reason thousands of men fought a war over the most beautiful woman alive is that there’s only one of them — unless undermining that excuse is the point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Overall, this measure ended up undermining the suffragists, because the low voter turnout suggested that women were apathetic about voting.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
