undermine
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
-
to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.
-
to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
-
to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.
verb
-
(of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)
-
to weaken gradually or insidiously
their insults undermined her confidence
-
to tunnel or dig beneath
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
underminesimple
-
underminessimple
-
have underminedperfect
-
has underminedperfect
-
am underminingprogressive
-
are underminingprogressive
-
is underminingprogressive
-
have been underminingperfect progressive
-
has been underminingperfect progressive
Past
-
underminedsimple
-
had underminedperfect
-
was underminingprogressive
-
were underminingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 9, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Caregiving responsibilities can undermine the future retirement security of caregivers if they are unable to save for retirement or add to their Social Security credits because they’ve stepped away from the workforce.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
He warned that unmanaged cross-border movement could undermine security and social order, and said no country could address the challenge alone.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The suspension, they argued, wasn’t merely undeserved, it threatened to undermine the U.S. team’s chances when the Americans took on Belgium on Monday in Seattle for a place in the quarterfinals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
He offered a note of optimism and suggested the president’s goal is to enhance, rather than undermine, the alliance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
“That’s a vicious lie! Someone’s trying to undermine the reputation of the Keepers!” cried Carlos.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
Truly creative and inspiring art undermines that goal, because it provokes responses like empathy and critical thinking in audiences — which gets in the way of authoritarian domination.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Turk said the lack of transparency and clarity surrounding the circumstances of the deaths undermines accountability.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
This logic mostly undermines the framework that the liability shield was built on.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
"This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup," said striker Mehdi Taremi.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The fact that I can’t stop my knees from bouncing undermines any sense of control, though.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
What al-Gharbi calls “normie beliefs,” ones that are often true and well-founded, are relentlessly undermined within the discipline: You think religion is good?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
A series of exam irregularities in India have undermined trust in the testing system, including the leak of a medical entrance question paper that forced more than two million candidates to retake the test.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
In effect, the body is frozen and it’s legitimacy undermined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Public trust was "significantly damaged" by failures to provide PPE and other equipment and the hard work of many officials was undermined, added Baroness Hallett.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
No, Oppenheimer said: “I have known him longer and closer than you; his fears that he was being, or might be, undermined in his position were a terror for him.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The committee also said there were "policy contradictions", with benefits cuts for people in training undermining the government's drive to encourage apprenticeships, describing the "lack of coherence" as "inexcusable".
From BBC ● 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
Burnham, who has been a long-standing supporter of the Hillsborough campaigners, said government plans for the intelligence services created "too broad an opt-out" and risked "undermining the spirit of the legislation".
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
He toured the country, mesmerizing crowds with thundering calls for black people to shake off the undermining ghetto stereotypes and claim their long-denied political power.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
