undermine

verb

un·​der·​mine ˌən-dər-ˈmīn 

ˈən-dər-ˌmīn

undermined; undermining; undermines

transitive verb

1

: to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly

trying to undermine his political rivals

2

: to weaken or ruin by degrees

3

: to wash away supporting material from under

4

: to excavate the earth beneath : form a mine under : sap

Choose the Right Synonym for undermine

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor.

weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health

drugs had sapped his ability to think

disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

Examples of undermine in a Sentence

She tried to undermine my authority by complaining about me to my boss.

The events of the past year have undermined people's confidence in the government.

Recent Examples on the Web

While in-person votes are reported quicker on election night, mail-in ballots take longer to count, which Trump took advantage of in 2020 to undermine faith in the election results, claiming victory on election night before all ballots were counted. —Alison Durkee, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Since Musk purchased Twitter, that policy no longer explicitly bans content that seeks to undermine the outcome of an election. —Jenn Brice, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

With polls closing Tuesday evening, officials are warning that foreign adversaries will likely spread false stories about election hacks to undermine trust in the voting process. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024

But, in the end, Schaeffer didn’t want to undermine her title character or the series’ thematic work involving the absoluteness of death. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

undermine

verb

un·​der·​mine ˌən-dər-ˈmīn 

1

: to dig out or wear away the earth beneath

undermine a wall

2

: to weaken or ruin secretly or gradually

undermine a government