undermine

verb

un·​der·​mine ˌən-dər-ˈmīn 

ˈən-dər-ˌmīn

undermined; undermining; undermines

transitive verb

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

4

: to excavate the earth beneath : form a mine under : sap

Choose the Right Synonym for undermine

weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, undermine, sap, disable mean to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor.

weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health

drugs had sapped his ability to think

disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

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

Private equity firms also sometimes own both physician staffing firms and Independent Dispute Resolution entities, creating a conflict of interest and undermining the law's fairness. — Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Side effects Clozapine’s most notable adverse effect is agranulocytosis, in which an extreme reduction of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, undermines the body’s ability to defend against infection. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

The calls heap pressure on the coalition government to loosen its purse strings, threatening to undermine its reputation for fiscal discipline just as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to present his three-year fiscal plan later this month. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Top picks Rogers sees value in consumer brands that will not be undermined by AI. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Rhymes for undermine

• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine
• caroline
• centerline

Kids 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