undermine
verb
un·der·mine
ˌən-dər-ˈmīn 
ˈən-dər-ˌmīn
undermined; undermining; undermines
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
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
Yet the Modi-fication of India could undermine the U.S. and its allies’ interests.
—
Michael Kugelman, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
New scientific papers are undermining some of the flashier claims about the tech’s capabilities.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
The German Federal Prosecutor's office said in a statement that two German-Russian nationals — named only as Dieter S. and Alexander J. in line with the country's privacy rules — were working with a Russian secret service agent to undermine international military support for Ukraine.
—Carlo Angerer, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Over the past decade, medical research has consistently demonstrated that the most relied upon medical device, the stethoscope, has the same contamination, and transmission as unwashed hands, undermining hand hygiene efforts in healthcare delivery.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Still, other supporters of the legislation rejected the notion that action against TikTok would undermine the United States on internet policy.
—David McCabe, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Tokyo is sending a strong message to Beijing: there will be costs to any actions that undermine Japan’s national interest.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Every solar farm in California is undermined by every ton of coal burned at Colstrip.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The lawsuit would allege that Live Nation’s concert promotion and ticketing operations have undermined competition in the live music market, The Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2024
Michael Kugelman, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
New scientific papers are undermining some of the flashier claims about the tech’s capabilities.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
The German Federal Prosecutor's office said in a statement that two German-Russian nationals — named only as Dieter S. and Alexander J. in line with the country's privacy rules — were working with a Russian secret service agent to undermine international military support for Ukraine.
—Carlo Angerer, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Over the past decade, medical research has consistently demonstrated that the most relied upon medical device, the stethoscope, has the same contamination, and transmission as unwashed hands, undermining hand hygiene efforts in healthcare delivery.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Still, other supporters of the legislation rejected the notion that action against TikTok would undermine the United States on internet policy.
—David McCabe, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Tokyo is sending a strong message to Beijing: there will be costs to any actions that undermine Japan’s national interest.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Every solar farm in California is undermined by every ton of coal burned at Colstrip.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The lawsuit would allege that Live Nation’s concert promotion and ticketing operations have undermined competition in the live music market, The Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undermine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near undermine
Cite this Entry
“Undermine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undermine. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share