undermine
Americanverb (used with object)
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undermines,
present (3rd person singular)
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undermined,
past participle, past
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undermining
present participle
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to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
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to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.
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to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
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to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.
verb
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(of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)
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to weaken gradually or insidiously
their insults undermined her confidence
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to tunnel or dig beneath
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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underminesimple
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underminessimple
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have underminedperfect
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has underminedperfect
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am underminingprogressive
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are underminingprogressive
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is underminingprogressive
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have been underminingperfect progressive
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has been underminingperfect progressive
Past
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underminedsimple
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had underminedperfect
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was underminingprogressive
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were underminingprogressive
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had been underminingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undermine
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English underminen; see under-, mine 2
Explanation
To undermine literally means to dig a hole underneath something, making it likely to collapse. But we more often use the word to describe sabotage or the act of weakening someone else's efforts. Originally spelled with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’, undermine has Germanic roots and means "to weaken, hinder, or impair." Accidentally undermine the foundation of a house by digging a tunnel to China beneath it and you might be forgiven. Undermine your teacher’s authority by speaking out of turn and throwing spitballs and odds are you’ll get in trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing undermine
The Crucible
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Grade 9, List 2
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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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 ICC retorted Tuesday, saying the US sanctions "undermine the rule of law."
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
That could be a critical, overlooked detail in an appeal or appraisal, as it could undermine the insurer’s position.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Military officials and advisers expressed concerns that reducing the joint drills would undermine military readiness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Staff betting could been seen by the public “as improper,” Page said he told his staff, “ which would undermine trust in the integrity of the election.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Yet dividing by zero destroys the fabric of mathematics and the framework of logic—and threatens to undermine the very basis of science.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Environmental groups have argued that watering down the target undermines the UK's long-term climate goals.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
"At a time when the US-Japan Alliance is dedicated to cultivating prosperity across the Indo-Pacific, we strongly oppose any action that undermines its peace and stability," Glass added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
As negotiating tactics go, it certainly undermines whatever public approval he hoped to gain with his “I’m just a guy, standing in front of the movie biz asking it to love me” bit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
This obviously undermines the investment argument for the “picks and shovel” stocks of the AI infrastructure build-out, like the chip makers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
But if the defendant alleges new evidence that could lead to a different outcome in the case—or that undermines the reliability of the trial—there is typically a hearing.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Patterson's lawyers are now arguing the hotel mix-up amounted to a "fundamental irregularity" which "fatally undermined" the integrity of the verdicts.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
South Korea’s foreign minister said the abrupt curtailment took the country by surprise, while the opposition party said it undermined the alliance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The defense attorney, in an unusual move, repeatedly undermined his own client’s credibility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
A "fundamental irregularity" also took place while the jury was sequestered that "fatally undermined the integrity of the verdicts", he argued, without giving further details.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Bentley is thus an advocate of the Thomas thesis: an improved technology for dealing with disease, combined with better scientific knowledge, undermined belief in magic and witchcraft.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Moeller-Maersk in April, accusing it of undermining a long-term contract.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
But his PTI party made little headway improving Pakistan's finances, with galloping inflation, crippling debt and a feeble rupee undermining economic reform.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Cedars-Sinai spokeswoman Sally Stewart added in an emailed statement that “changing the allocation formula risks undermining the system that Measure B was designed to protect and sustain.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Any sharp jump in import costs could compel the Bank of Japan to more aggressively raise rates, potentially undermining the country’s fragile economic recovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
After the German surrender, he brought one more argument to the table: using the bomb on Japan would fatally compromise America’s moral and humanitarian standing, undermining any efforts to create a workable international control regime.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
