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underdo

American  
[uhn-der-doo] / ˌʌn dərˈdu /

verb (used with or without object)

underdid, underdone, underdoing
  1. to do less or in a lesser fashion than is usual or requisite.


Etymology

Origin of underdo

First recorded in 1605–15; under- + do 1

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.

See Examples For:

I hope I don’t overdo it or underdo it,’” Mirren says, speaking alongside McKellen at the Corinthia Hotel in London.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 18, 2019

We don’t want her to underdo her job.

From The Guardian Nov. 25, 2015

“All authentication in the end is about being risk-based. You don’t want to overdo security because that can create user burdens, but you don’t want to underdo it because that creates risk.”

From Slate Jul. 10, 2015

Sometimes the local people overdo the publicity, and sometimes they underdo it.

From Time Magazine Archive

A young fellow should be ambitious to shine in everything; and, of the two, rather overdo than underdo.

From A Letter Book Selected with an Introduction on the History and Art of Letter-Writing by Saintsbury, George

“We underdid it in the great financial crisis, so we overdid it here,” said Patrick Harker, who was president of the Philadelphia Fed for a decade before stepping down last June.

From The Wall Street Journal May 14, 2026

Certainly if there were any fault in Mr Codlin's usual deportment, it was that he rather underdid his kindness to those about him, than overdid it.

From The Old Curiosity Shop by Dickens, Charles

Testing of memory and cognitive skills are not usually part of routine physicals like the one Biden is underdoing.

From Seattle Times Feb. 28, 2024

Powell, as well, said that even though "the risks of sort of overdoing it and underdoing it are getting closer to being balanced," the focus remains on inflation.

From Reuters Jun. 16, 2023

Flanker Jamie Ritchie is out for the tournament after underdoing surgery on the hamstring injury suffered in last weekend's opening win over England.

From BBC Feb. 10, 2022

“The risk of overdoing it is less than the risk of underdoing it,” Mr. Powell said.

From New York Times Dec. 1, 2020

Overdoing in one direction must be compensated by underdoing in another.

From A New Atmosphere by Hamilton, Gail

“In the end, Redfall feels unpolished, underdone, underwhelming, and uncomfortable.”

From Seattle Times Jun. 1, 2023

“You may be a bit of undigested beef,” Charles Dickens wrote, presumably sometime in late October or early November of 1843, “a spot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato.”

From Washington Post Dec. 8, 2022

Culturally different, but geographically close, the two countries have collaborated on border security and counter-terrorism, and share a nervousness about the rise of China, but the commercial relationship has been underdone.

From BBC Aug. 5, 2022

The judges nitpick about the bok choy being a little underdone, but they love the broth.

From Salon Apr. 6, 2022

The rabbit was a shade underdone, but tasted wonderful.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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