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- Dictionaryundermine/ˌʌndəˈmʌɪn/
verb
- 1. erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation): "the flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof" Similar Opposite
- 2. lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously: "this could undermine years of hard work" Similar Opposite
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to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually: The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position /him. Criticism just undermines their confidence. Fewer examples.
The meaning of UNDERMINE is to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly. How to use undermine in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Undermine.
If you undermine something such as a feeling or a system, you make it less strong or less secure than it was before, often by a gradual process or by repeated efforts. Offering advice on each and every problem will undermine her feeling of being adult.
to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually: The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position /him. Criticism just undermines their confidence. Fewer examples.
to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
To undermine literally means to dig a hole underneath something, making it likely to collapse. But we more often use the word to describe sabotage or the act of weakening someone else's efforts. SKIP TO CONTENT
undermine something to make something weaker at the base, for example by digging under it. Definition of undermine verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
