Showing results for "undermined"

• past tense form of undermine.
• past participle of undermine.

undermined

American  

[uhn-der-mahynd, uhn-der-mahynd] / ˌʌn dərˈmaɪnd, ˈʌn dərˌmaɪnd /

adjective

1. attacked, weakened, or defeated by underhand or seemingly harmless actions or by imperceptible stages.

   Both the struggling students and the most gifted ones are receiving limited support from an undermined educational system.

2. weakened or made to collapse by removing underlying support, as by eroding or digging away the foundation.

   With the release of material from the undermined cliffs at these sites, we should have had far more sand to feed the beaches, not less.

3. deliberately weakened by an excavation or tunnel dug underneath, as by an enemy in war.

   When the town was besieged, its defenders abandoned the undermined walls and retired into the citadel.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of undermine.

Etymology

Origin of undermined

undermine ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

undermined

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

“Defendant has undermined public confidence in the countless officers who exercise their authority lawfully and honorably.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

McDonald also said he "fundamentally disagreed" that his case had been undermined after two experts quit his team.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Eventually, though, Padre Sinkovich undermined the very foundations of his church, which collapsed on top of him, writing finis to another droll chapter in Milagro’s history.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• flawed