undermining

American  

[uhn-der-mahy-ning] / ˈʌn dərˌmaɪ nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of injuring, attacking, or destroying something or someone indirectly or by imperceptible degrees, often leading to a dramatic collapse.

   The undermining of Scottish Gaelic as a viable language resulted not from decrees, but from a gradual weakening of independent Scottish institutions.

2. the act or process of weakening something or causing it to collapse by removing its underlying support, as by erosion.

   During the heavy rains, blocked sewers caused the flooding of the basement and the undermining of the wall by water.

3. the act of digging or tunneling underneath something, as a military stronghold.

   The siege works were now close enough to allow the undermining of some of the bastions of the fortress.

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adjective

1. weakening something or someone gradually or indirectly.

   Seating students in rows, so they cannot see each other’s faces, has an undermining effect on their engagement.

2. digging or tunneling underneath something, or removing or eroding its underlying support.

   The land along the shoreline collapsed because of undermining waves and currents.

Other Word Forms

• underminingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of undermining

First recorded in 1350–1400; undermin(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; undermin(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

In a letter to the Home Office, the largest consortium of current providers warned Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood the move risked undermining her wider goals to secure UK borders.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

There have also been examples of a few individual private-credit loans getting marked down, undermining investor confidence in the valuations of the rest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

If the court accepts the “speech” narrative, it risks undermining decades of precedent recognizing the state’s authority to regulate professional misconduct.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

After the match, the shell-shocked Sharapova explained that the tricky winds made her unsure whether her balls were going to land in, undermining her laser-like groundstokes and confidence.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

This isn’t a movie about a girl who breaks up with her undermining boyfriend, she thought.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• subversion