undo

[ uhn-doo ]

/ ʌnˈdu /

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See synonyms for: undo / undid / undoing / undone on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), un·did

[uhn-did], /ʌnˈdɪd/, un·done

[uhn-duhn], /ʌnˈdʌn/, un·do·ing.

to reverse the doing of; cause to be as if never done: Murder once done can never be undone.

to do away with; erase; efface: to undo the havoc done by the storm.

to bring to ruin or disaster; destroy: In the end his lies undid him.

to unfasten by releasing: to undo a gate; to undo a button.

to untie or loose (a knot, rope, etc.).

to open (a package, wrapping, etc.).

Archaic. to explain; interpret.

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Origin of undo

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English undōn; cognate with Dutch ontdoen; see origin at un-², do¹

OTHER WORDS FROM undo

un·do·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH undo

undo , undue

How to use undo in a sentence

Through 50 seasons, the Los Angeles Clippers have tended to come undone at the worst possible times.
Ty Lue Inherited A Kawhi Leonard Problem|James L. Jackson|November 13, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
California voters re-elected many of the state’s legislators last week but undid some of the Legislature’s most high-profile recent work.
Morning Report: What Women Candidates and Officeholders Face|Voice of San Diego|November 9, 2020|Voice of San Diego
As in some recent losses, Washington’s mistakes snowballed until the team began to undo some of the damage.
Washington loses Kyle Allen to injury, and Alex Smith’s comeback bid vs. Giants falls short|Nicki Jhabvala|November 8, 2020|Washington Post
Many legislators might have kept their jobs, but voters undid some of the Legislature’s most high-profile recent work, and rejected an effort led by some of its most high-profile leaders.
Sacramento Report: 3 Election Takeaways|Sara Libby|November 6, 2020|Voice of San Diego

A decade after President Barack Obama signed the ACA into law, Republicans are still trying to undo it, including in a court case heading to the Supreme Court a week after the election.
Pelosi is already working on 2022|Rachel Schallom|October 26, 2020|Fortune
This is all laudable, but from my time spent around current vets and a few Marine officers, it seems wholly undoable.
Anthony Swofford on America’s Best War Writer, Karl Marlantes|Anthony Swofford|November 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
This trait ennobles the U.S. military, but also makes it highly vulnerable to taking on undoable tasks.
Obama's Afghan Nightmare|Leslie H. Gelb|June 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The dirty fist in the young surgeon's pocket was obliged to undoable itself, and come out of its ambush disarmed.
The History of Pendennis|William Makepeace Thackeray

British Dictionary definitions for undo

undo

/ (ʌnˈduː) /

verb -does, -doing, -did or -done (mainly tr)

(also intr) to untie, unwrap, or open or become untied, unwrapped, etc

to reverse the effects of

to cause the downfall of

obsolete to explain or solve

Derived forms of undo

undoer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

undo

Origin of undo

OTHER WORDS FROM undo

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH undo

Words related to undo

How to use undo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for undo

Derived forms of undo