undermine

[uhn-der-mahyn, uhn-der-mahyn]

verb (used with object)

undermined, undermining 

1. to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.

2. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.

3. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.

4. to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.

undermine

/ ˌʌndəˈmaɪn /

verb

1. (of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)

2. to weaken gradually or insidiously

   their insults undermined her confidence

3. to tunnel or dig beneath

Other Word Forms

• underminer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of undermine¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English underminen; under-, mine ²

Example Sentences

“This shift not only undermines recovery efforts for the species in California but also risks altering generational feeding patterns and broader ecological dynamics,” Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The overly inclusive approach undermines the curators’ arguments, and examples of such miscategorizations are numerous.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Left unpunished, Cicero claimed, this imperial tyranny would undermine faith in Rome’s institutions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It "may be in response to the growing pushback against China's external surpluses, which many developing countries fear would undermine their own development", he added.

Read more on Barron's

They appoint loyalists over competent officials, undermine courts, and turn citizens against one another.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• erode 
• frustrate 
• hurt 
• impair 
• ruin 
• sabotage 
• sap 
• subvert 
• threaten 
• thwart 
• torpedo 
• undercut 
• weaken 
• wreck