undercut
verb (used with object)
to cut under or beneath.
was undercutting
-
past progressiveof undercut.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Fans of Styles who can’t afford to travel to his shows argued that he was undercutting his own big-tent messaging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
Lieberman noted that a decade ago when he was still a prosecutor, law enforcement officials feared the rise of strong encryption on mobile devices was undercutting their ability to intercept criminals’ communications.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 2, 2022
In November, Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned that the American retreat was undercutting the Afghan government.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2021
“The Ethiopian state making peace with the Eritrean state — in doing so he was undercutting the hard-liners within TPLF,” whose soldiers had fought the brunt of Ethiopia’s war against Eritrea, said Opalo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2020
That prompted Ito to send an email to Negroponte in the middle of the night, complaining that he was undercutting his ability to make amends.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2019
