undermined

[ uhn-der-mahynd uhn-der-mahynd ]

adjective

1. attacked, weakened, or defeated by underhand or seemingly harmless actions or by imperceptible stages:

   Both the struggling students and the most gifted ones are receiving limited support from an undermined educational system.

2. weakened or made to collapse by removing underlying support, as by eroding or digging away the foundation:

   With the release of material from the undermined cliffs at these sites, we should have had far more sand to feed the beaches, not less.

3. deliberately weakened by an excavation or tunnel dug underneath, as by an enemy in war:

   When the town was besieged, its defenders abandoned the undermined walls and retired into the citadel.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of undermine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of undermined¹

undermine ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Their alternative is to reward two politicians conspiring to groundlessly undermine faith in American democracy.

From Washington Post

As he tottered to a waiting SUV, the former mayor was asked whether his stunts are undermining an election that, by all serious accounts, was fair and accurate.

From Washington Post

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, environmental protection laws have been severely undermined.

From MIT Technology Review

His face stiffened, as if the world should have known that any pain medication would undermine the central project of his time on earth.

From Outside Online

Together, both directives in the order effectively rewrite the GAOA and undermine the authority of Congress.

From Outside Online

The safety of American personnel at the American consulate in Libya was undermined by a “stand down order.”

From The Daily Beast

Ford, now with the Middle East Institute, says that in some ways the strikes have “undermined the moderates.”

From The Daily Beast

There are any number of examples of nations at war not allowing themselves to be undermined by journalists.

From The Daily Beast

Blood Sport is filled with big conclusions that are undermined by the known facts.

From The Daily Beast

Many factors ultimately undermined the first old agrarian Jeffersonian dream.

From The Daily Beast

It was the abuse of hashish that, undoubtedly, undermined his constitution, formerly so robust and strong.

From Project Gutenberg

Meanwhile it was this foolish habit—nothing more—that undermined the inherent firmness of his nature.

From Project Gutenberg

Her resentment of that undermined all the fairness of her logic, and even triumphed over the sword of her suspense.

From Project Gutenberg

Such mock-modesty would at once have undermined her arguments.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus, the sand will be undermined by the waves, and this will cause the block to fall into the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• flawed