undermine
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
- underminer noun
Etymology
Origin of undermine
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English underminen; under-, mine 2
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.
A sharp correction in equity markets could also undermine GDP growth.
From Barron's
“However, in cutting rates further, there is an increased risk in pushing long-term bond yields higher and undermining the dollar.”
They write that this shift, combined with tough times for working-class men overall, has “sharply reduced the pool of economically stable partners available to non-college women,” undermining their marriage prospects.
These and other concerns appear to have prompted a group of international scholars to petition the Modi government in defence of the original scheme, warning that the new funding model could undermine its purpose.
From BBC
“As long as we have a kingdom in Denmark that consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, we cannot accept that there are those who undermine our sovereignty,” Rasmussen told Denmark’s TV2.
From Salon
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.
