as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
an intractable drug habit proved to be her sad undoing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence
the sudden shriek undid the campers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfastening
to disengage the knotted parts of
undo a tangled shoelace
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the mere mention of the home invasion still had the power to undo her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undoing
Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
This final betrayal will be his undoing, as the enraged creature, doomed to live without connection, care, or love, finally snaps and destroys everything Victor holds dear.
—Thomas Page McBee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Pride blinds them to reality until nemesis arrives, undoing both their achievements and their legacies.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Noun
Failing to make the postseason or struggling with him on the roster in back-to-back seasons could be Mendoza's undoing.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
This final betrayal will be his undoing, as the enraged creature, doomed to live without connection, care, or love, finally snaps and destroys everything Victor holds dear.
—Thomas Page McBee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
The real challenge for this whiskey will be undoing the long-standing poor reputation that other 80-proof products have created over the years.
—Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Pride blinds them to reality until nemesis arrives, undoing both their achievements and their legacies.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undoing
Noun
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Aeschylus’s telling of the myth includes the detail that Prometheus has a role as a data harvester of sorts, armed with information that helps Zeus and the Titans come to power, but also information about Zeus’s eventual downfall.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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Lorch’s downfall in 2002 was an earthquake in the city’s youth-basketball circles.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Discipline without optimism is paralyzing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
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Shortly after Henry’s death, Augusta suffered two paralyzing strokes, intensifying her and Ed’s isolated, co-dependent relationship before her death in 1945.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Saft, not bothering to remove his sneakers, leaped onto a chair to place an ornate gold mirror over the mantelpiece.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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Talk through what’s bothering you to gain a compassionate perspective.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The viral photos and videos of the destruction have elicited strong emotions for many Americans.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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As time passes, pressure increases, communication falters, and every decision carries the weight of potential destruction.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Karbler notes that Bigelow resisted that depiction for fear of distracting from the emotional moment.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Surprisingly, the injury helped him in this regard by distracting him from overanalyzing his game.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The government must refinance without scaring off investors or triggering default.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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Playing on parental fears, The Babadook has been scaring the daylights out of us for a solid decade now.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Currently, six out of these ten are triggered, including elevated price-to-earnings ratios, extreme outperformance of high-multiple stocks compared to cheaper ones, and loosening credit conditions.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Goldman also reported that the labor market is loosening, meaning there are more workers than jobs, to levels not seen in 10 years.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undoing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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