undermine

[ uhn-der-mahyn uhn-der-mahyn ]

verb (used with object)

, un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing.

1. to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
2. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.
3. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
4. to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.

undermine

/ ˌʌndəˈmaɪn /

verb

1. (of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)
2. to weaken gradually or insidiously

   their insults undermined her confidence

3. to tunnel or dig beneath

Derived Forms

• ˌunderˈminer, noun

Other Words From

• un·der·min·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of undermine¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English underminen; under-, mine ²

Example Sentences

But critics on both sides of the aisle say that far from just advocating for restraint, she has embraced talking points from militaristic autocrats like Assad and Putin, and as overseer of 18 spy agencies would undermine national security and the international order.

From Salon

“One critical way to undermine that is by having conflicts of interest. We need to be on the alert for people who are advising the government who may have their own personal interests. Plainly, with a figure like Elon Musk, who has such broad holdings, that’s particularly important.”

From Los Angeles Times

But Csathy contends that McMahon overlooked the possibility that her ruling might undermine the licensing market — if AI developers can remove CMI from training data with impunity, they might not feel any need to license copyrighted material in the future.

From Los Angeles Times

McMahon’s ruling may also undermine what has been a growing trend toward the licensing of copyrighted content by AI developers — in part to forestall copyright infringement claims.

From Los Angeles Times

The statement continued, “It’s surprising that some appear to be working to specifically undermine the sheriff at this critical time.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• erode
• frustrate
• hurt
• impair
• ruin
• sabotage
• sap
• subvert
• threaten
• thwart
• torpedo
• undercut
• weaken
• wreck