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
-
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 protests by health teams are the latest problem to undermine the effort to halt the spread of the virus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
They call each other names, accuse each other of the nastiest things, try to undermine and embarrass each other at every turn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
“I am concerned this bill would undermine that imperative,” Newsom wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he had spoken with his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and agreed "to collaborate against extremist elements seeking to harm security and undermine stability".
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
But seeing Frank and his wife began to undermine my parochialism and loosen the hold of the tribalism that still imprisoned me.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
It could be used if a trading partner deliberately undermines fair-market conditions and distorts the bloc’s market, the letter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
That undermines Meta’s claim that Muse is “simple to use. People just tell Muse what needs to get done, and it takes action.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
It is the deal that counts, not the values it promotes or undermines.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
The new evidence undermines Omar al-Bayoumi's 25 years of denials that he was an extremist and a Saudi spy.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 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
The S&P 500 has been in holding pattern for two months now, its progress stalled by bond-market carnage and its technicals undermined by the narrow breadth of stocks keeping up the index.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
“Defendant has undermined public confidence in the countless officers who exercise their authority lawfully and honorably.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
His critiques of both communism and unrestrained capitalism stemmed from his dismay that each of them undermined the dignity of human beings created in God’s image.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
"We see people's health being damaged and their ability to find and maintain work undermined by the severe hardship so many are facing."
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Crumbling edges of concrete and brick undermined by sinkholes.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
“The risk,” Bowler stresses, “is that a seemingly benign policy decision produces a disorderly bond market tantrum by undermining confidence in the broader policy mix.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Such a search, like so much about AI, poses a quandary: It may end up undermining human confidence that humans are anything special.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
"Illegal off-roading also impacts farmers and landowners who manage these privately owned working landscapes, disrupting farming operations, increasing costs, and undermining long-term conservation efforts."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
“While some progress has been achieved, including the promotion of meaningful observation within the Elections Office, Mr. Curtis has failed significantly in other core responsibilities, undermining the very principles he was appointed to uphold.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
I owe it to Cinna, who risked everything by undermining President Snow and turning my bridal silk into mockingjay plumage.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
