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
This is all designed to undermine future competitions.
—
Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
The big picture: Trump could try to undermine the press through some of those regulatory openings, but the U.S. court system has a strong track record of protecting First Amendment freedoms should a media firm fight back.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
In recent months, U.S., British, German and other European officials have accused Russia of organizing an increasingly aggressive sabotage campaign aimed at undermining and disrupting Western assistance to Ukraine.
—Tom Costello, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Yet doing so could undermine the importance already attributed to the large gathering of anchors.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for undermine 
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Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
The big picture: Trump could try to undermine the press through some of those regulatory openings, but the U.S. court system has a strong track record of protecting First Amendment freedoms should a media firm fight back.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
In recent months, U.S., British, German and other European officials have accused Russia of organizing an increasingly aggressive sabotage campaign aimed at undermining and disrupting Western assistance to Ukraine.
—Tom Costello, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Yet doing so could undermine the importance already attributed to the large gathering of anchors.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for undermine
Dictionary Entries Near undermine
Cite this Entry
“Undermine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undermine. Accessed 22 Nov. 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
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