as in to weaken
to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way
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.
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Recent Examples of undermine
The administration has cited a need to counter China’s abusive trade practices, but this is undermined by the 25 percent tariff on Japanese goods.
—
The Editors, National Review, 10 July 2025
Yet labor leaders – and even some in-office evangelists – said the governor’s willingness to suddenly drop his demand proved the order was a clever political move and undermined his insistence that in-person work is superior, necessary for productivity and builds public trust.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
Suggesting that extinction can be reversed through technology risks undermining the urgency of conserving existing species and ecosystems, critics say.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
Your bombastic attacks on the free press are, at best, unflattering — and at worst, undermine a core tenet of democracy.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for undermine
The Editors, National Review, 10 July 2025
Yet labor leaders – and even some in-office evangelists – said the governor’s willingness to suddenly drop his demand proved the order was a clever political move and undermined his insistence that in-person work is superior, necessary for productivity and builds public trust.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
Suggesting that extinction can be reversed through technology risks undermining the urgency of conserving existing species and ecosystems, critics say.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
Your bombastic attacks on the free press are, at best, unflattering — and at worst, undermine a core tenet of democracy.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for undermine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermine
Verb
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The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Without federal support, Ryan said, the work his division of the health department has been doing to try to slow the increase in new HIV cases would be impaired.—
Suzanne King,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
-
Never use fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs.—
Kevin Quinitchett,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Now, this fundamental principle is at risk of being eroded.—
Philippa Pham Hughes,
Time,
11 July 2025
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Deals like these, which require OpenAI to sell stakes in the company, erode the nonprofit’s control of the business.—
Orson Aguilar,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Verb
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If medical schools don’t prepare students to lead clinical application of these tools, for-profit companies and private equity firms will focus solely on ways to lower costs, even when these approaches compromise medical care.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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The horse helped compromised Indigenous power even before tribes had their first confrontations with the US Army.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undermine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermine. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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