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:
University student Fadumo Ali worried that a disputed federal election "could undermine governance and national unity".
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The results also indicated that treatment could stabilize motor function, an important outcome for a progressive disorder that can steadily undermine a person's ability to move independently.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Analysts at consulting firm Eurasia Group said this week they expect Iran to continue targeting shipping in an effort to undermine U.S. gains rather than deliberately seek a full-scale confrontation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Aside from this effect, rising interest rates can also undermine certain assets held by retirees and those close to retirement.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Taking our powers of rapid cognition seriously means we have to acknowledge the subtle influences that can alter or undermine or bias the products of our unconscious.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
If a cycle of higher refinancing costs and insufficient fiscal adjustment undermines investor confidence, gold could benefit as an asset that doesn’t depend on a government’s repayment promise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
It was one of several technical issues during the coverage, which fans said was "gimmicky" and "undermines" women's football.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
It is the deal that counts, not the values it promotes or undermines.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Stern: He wrote that Bostock supports, not undermines, the court’s conclusion in the latest trans cases, because in Bostock, everyone agreed that adverse actions against the employees was discrimination, right?
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
It will send the linguists back to India with their tape recorders, because it undermines the critical superstructure of their methodology.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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
There’s scant evidence that Mercedes undermined workers’ rights or violated U.S. labor law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“I know the catastrophic mechanical issues that have plagued Metrolink trains this year have severely undermined the reliability of the system and the confidence of the riders,” said L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The four leagues say the shake-up is needed to make world football's governing body "transparent, objective, proportionate and inclusive" and claim that "our sport cannot grow globally if its foundations are undermined".
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
But for the second day in a row, that chance was being undermined by a series of unexplained computer problems.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
“Right now, you have a situation where the water is undermining the foundations of homes and streets,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
They can also trigger a scramble for better returns that pushes investors into riskier assets, undermining financial stability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Geneva-based agency said funding cuts were undermining its efforts to help people move away from reliance on aid.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
He argued there "should be a landing zone to agree mandatory testing", without undermining competitive advantage between companies and nations.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
But the thought keeps worming back in, undermining every attempt to rout it out.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
