to undermine
270
6.8
- verb
- /ˌʌn.dɚˈmaɪn/
:
socavar
- Critics argue that the recent changes in the law will undermine public trust in the justice system.
- undermine efforts
- undermine the legitimacy
- undermine the credibility
That's if it could undermine your currency value.
- That's if it could undermine your currency value.
- This bastard pattern is undermining their balance, right?
- I'm not looking to undermine our core product.
- So talk about, you know, undermining the Constitution.
- So that to me is damaging and undermining social media.
- It is killing you, undermining you, and it's killing the environment.
- You know you're undermining your future health by doing that.
- And what that actually does is that undermines the possibility of flow.
- Except for how effectively you're undermining our nation with this discussion.
- Focus on the action, not undermining or questioning his love.
- And sadly, our past narcissistic relationships can undermine how we come into new ones.
- And that was an insight which undermined his explanation for revolution.
- And the to be able to do that while someone is always undermining you is difficult.
Examples
-
You know you're undermining your future health by doing that.
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I mean, are you trying to undermine my good impression of you?
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I'm not looking to undermine our core product.
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I hope this doesn't undermine your confidence in us.
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Don't undermine our way of life.
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But the cuts that have been meted out undermine all of this.
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An armed incursion now would undermine those negotiations.
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He undermines the authority of your court.
-
You undermine my authority.
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Our focus on tackling the social determinants of TB should not undermine other ongoing efforts.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
305
2.8
To make people and things less strong or effective
164
7.1
To damage things on purpose so they stop working
66
6.3
To harm someone's reputation so others stop trusting them
34
8.1
To secretly weaken a government, system, or its power
Antonyms
Phrasal Verbs
How Damaging
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word undermine comes from under + mine, where mine means 'to dig a tunnel'. Because digging slowly weakens a building from below, undermine also means 'to weaken or damage slowly or secretly', so we use it when someone's plans or position are harmed little by little.