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

The public tussle tarnished the Burbank company’s clean image and undermined its goal of entertaining the masses, no matter their political stripes.

From Los Angeles Times

An earlier editorial, published a day after Beijing announced the probes, said their actions "seriously undermined and violated the system of responsibility of the CMC chairman", Xi.

From Barron's

The Founders worried that the U.S. could be undermined by a powerful standing army.

From The Wall Street Journal

On this evidence, even moreso against these opponents, this flawed City showed they can be got at and undermined in a manner that does not give confidence they will overhaul Arsenal.

From BBC

The surge in inflation substantially raised the cost of living for citizens and undermined business planning.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• flawed