Home » Misc » What is undermines

What is undermines


Undermine Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

un·​der·​mine ˌən-dər-ˈmīn 

ˈən-dər-ˌmīn

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

Example Sentences

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 Leakage is another issue that can undermine the efficacy of offset programs. Time, 21 Oct. 2022 South Korea’s military said North Korea must halt provocations that undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Hyung-jin Kim, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Oct. 2022 This position, instead of simply answering the core issue, could open the door to a ruling that would undermine decades of precedent and take away the ability to sue in court to protect rights under federal entitlement programs. Johnny Magdaleno, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Oct. 2022 This is the kind of ubiquity that could undermine the brand’s exclusivity. Quartz, 12 Oct. 2022 Newsrooms are full of egos and eccentric characters, some of whom are given free rein in ways that undermine their colleagues, or the work of ethical journalism itself. Nina Metz, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Oct. 2022 Newsrooms are full of egos and eccentric characters, some of whom are given free rein in ways that undermine their colleagues, or the work of ethical journalism itself. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2022 On Wednesday, a team published research that reports a host of vulnerabilities that undermine Matrix’s authentication and confidentiality guarantees. WIRED, 30 Sep. 2022 On Wednesday, a team of researchers published research that reports a host of vulnerabilities that undermine Matrix's authentication and confidentiality guarantees. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'undermine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler

The first known use of undermine was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Dictionary Entries Near

undermine

undermill

undermine

underminer

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

Style

MLAChicagoAPAMerriam-Webster

“Undermine. ” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undermine. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

undermine

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

More from Merriam-Webster on

undermine

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for undermine

Nglish: Translation of undermine for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of undermine for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

crucible

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Odd Habits and Quirks

  • Which of the following best describes an easily irritated person?
  • tetchy gregarious
  • superficial flashy

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Undermine Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

  • Top Definitions
  • Quiz
  • Related Content
  • Examples
  • British

This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

[ uhn-der-mahyn or, especially for 1, 2, 4, uhn-der-mahyn ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈmaɪn or, especially for 1, 2, 4, ˈʌn dərˌmaɪn /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: undermine / undermined / undermines / undermining on Thesaurus.com

This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object), un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing.

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 weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Origin of undermine

First recorded in 1300–50, undermine is from the Middle English word underminen.See under-, mine2

OTHER WORDS FROM undermine

un·der·min·er, nounun·der·min·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby undermine

underlit, under lock and key, underlying, undermanned, undermentioned, undermine, undermined, undermodulate, undermost, underneath, undernourish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to undermine

blunt, cripple, erode, frustrate, hurt, impair, ruin, sabotage, sap, subvert, threaten, thwart, torpedo, undercut, wreck, attenuate, corrode, debilitate, dig, disable

How to use undermine in a sentence

  • About a month ago, we laid out five ways that Republicans are making it harder to vote and more generally undermining the electoral process in 2020.

    The Latest On Republican Efforts To Make It Harder To Vote|Perry Bacon Jr. ([email protected])|September 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

  • If we don’t, we run the risk of undermining public health in the US — and even more specifically undermining the entire vaccination program.

    A third of Americans might refuse a Covid-19 vaccine. How screwed are we?|Brian Resnick|September 4, 2020|Vox

  • Suggesting that one party is better than the other to our allies runs the risk of undermining our national position and credibility when the other party takes power.

    The GOP Convention Violated Plenty Of Norms, But Did It Undermine Democratic Values?|Julia Azari|September 1, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

  • Cowan said they believe the initial changes aimed to undermine mail delivery and now workers fear more changes will be made to slow the Postal Service — and nobody will find out until it is too late.

    Info About Local Post Office Operations Is Conflicting and Hard to Come By|Ashly McGlone and Kate Nucci|August 27, 2020|Voice of San Diego

  • “You can’t just chase dollars, otherwise we’d be undermining the authority” that GQ has when it comes to quality product recommendations, said Welch.

    ‘It’s worth testing’: GQ is moving from recommending products to selling its own|Kayleigh Barber|August 25, 2020|Digiday

  • The most dangerous attacks are those that undermine your perceived strength.

    Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

  • The ACLU and its allies are trying to undermine the holiday with lawsuits and annoying billboards.

    Why I’m for the War on Christmas|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • One lefty tweeter even complained that an invasion of icky American tourists would undermine “family values” in Cuba.

    Castro's Hipster Apologists Want to Keep Cuba ‘Authentically’ Poor|Michael Moynihan|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • We “undermine” our nature every time we use glasses or medicine, after all.

    Hey, Creeps, ‘Compliments’ Are Harassment, Too|Tauriq Moosa|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • His detractors tried to undermine his standing with Reagan, but he had support from an unlikely source—hard-line conservatives.

    How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations|Malcolm Byrne|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

  • The influence of the Jews had helped also to undermine heathenism and thus to prepare the ground for Christianity.

    Gospel Philosophy|J. H. Ward

  • While an attempt is made to undermine his claim to wisdom, it will incidentally appear that wisdom was ascribed to him.

    Papers from Overlook-House|Casper Almore

  • You remember it, Dean, I thought him a villain when I learned how he was trying to undermine you.

    Warrior Gap|Charles King

  • With cynical cruelty, he set himself to insult, to undermine, to mutilate it.

    The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio

  • Mr J. (still seeking, as I could see, to undermine me in his friend's favour).

    Baboo Jabberjee, B.A.|F. Anstey

British Dictionary definitions for undermine

undermine

/ (ˌʌndəˈmaɪn) /

verb (tr)

(of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)

to weaken gradually or insidiouslytheir insults undermined her confidence

to tunnel or dig beneath

Derived forms of undermine

underminer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

News for today - The most interesting news in the World!

Vegetable garden

Features of growing tobacco

00

Fans of cigarettes often prefer farm tobacco - it is much more pleasant and fragrant than cigarettes or purchased raw materials. Connoisseurs even plant

Garden

How to achieve intensive eggplant fruiting: a simple and quick procedure

00

Growing eggplants, each gardener expects the formation of as many fruits as possible. Otherwise, it is simply pointless to waste time and energy on care

Society

President Putin ordered the demobilization of students from the DPR and LPR

Society

An explosion occurred in the center of Istanbul, there are victims

00

Information has been received about an explosion in the center of Istanbul, at the moment there are data on the victims. A similar message came from the NTV channel.

Beauty and health

One of the hospitals for COVID-19 patients closed in Kirov

Gazeta.ru: sacral nerve stimulation helps with sexual dysfunction in women

Useful tips

Where to store the mop and bucket so that they do not interfere in the apartment

00

It is important that he not only not

Society

Apple was sued for surveillance of iOS users. The company promised complete privacy

00

Apple may collect personal data from users even if they have disabled iPhone Analytics to track activity in applications.

Show business

Back on the air: the show of Baskov and Lazarev finally came out

00

Nikolai Baskov and Sergey Lazarev announced a new season of the vocal show Entertainment programs are gradually returning to the screens. Autumn is coming and

Beauty and health

Family psychology: how to raise a happy child

04

What do you associate the word family with? Most likely, the imagination will draw dad, mom and baby. Therefore, family psychology includes not only female-male

What undermines the stability of the oil market

Birol (left) lists the reasons for the possible price spikes this year / Valeriano Di Domenico / World Economic Forum

Oil market volatility could be much stronger this year than last year, CEO said International Energy Agency Fatih Birol at the energy session at the Davos Forum. In 2018, having risen to $70 per barrel in January, the price of Brent quickly fell below $63 at the end of the month and early February along with global stock markets. Subsequently, the price increased significantly in anticipation of a strong reduction in exports from Iran as a result of the restoration of US sanctions, but in the fourth quarter it collapsed from $86 to $50 per barrel.

Birol listed the reasons for possible jumps in quotations this year - fears of geopolitical conflicts may be stronger than last year; the global economy is slowing "and we don't yet know how this will affect demand for oil, especially in China, which has provided more than 50% of world consumption in the past 10 years." In the past three years, oil demand in China has grown by 4.3%, this year many analysts expect about 3.5%.

In the energy market itself, it is even more unclear than before how effective the latest OPEC+ agreement to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day will be to balance the market, Birol believes; Manufacturers in the USA can spoil the situation.

“A year ago, at the Davos forum, we predicted that US daily production would increase by 1.5 million barrels in 2018, and we were accused of overestimating. What happened? US production increased by 2 million barrels,” Birol stated. U.S. crude oil production was 11.7 million barrels per day for the week ending January 18, according to the latest data from the US Energy Information Administration.

It is also important that in 2018 and now the lack of pipeline capacity in the United States holds back the supply of shale oil from the Permian Basin. But until the end of 2019New pipelines will be put into operation, which will increase the capacity to deliver oil to the market by two-thirds. As a result, American oil producers will be able to react much faster to the market situation, Birol said. All these factors make you think "we are in for a very volatile year," he summed up.

Geopolitics, including the situation around Iran and Venezuela, will indeed have a stronger influence on the energy market this year, according to Megan O'Sullivan, an expert on geopolitical aspects of energy projects at Harvard University. Moreover, in relation not only to supply, but also to demand, including because of the trade conflict between the United States and China.

“The situation in Venezuela has had a predictable effect so far: in recent years, oil production has fallen rapidly but steadily,” O'Sullivan said (it fell by 560,000 barrels a day last year). “Now the situation can develop in any of the directions, and this creates a lot of uncertainty. It is also unknown how the US administration will deal with Iran, whether the exemptions from sanctions on the purchase of its oil will be extended,” O’Sullivan said. There are other political risks: the new Mexican president has caused great concern with his plans to stop the process of attracting foreign oil companies to the country, and in Nigeria, a presidential candidate said that if he wins, he will renegotiate all oil contracts.

Four years ago, no one believed in cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia, but it has become historic and this mechanism works effectively, which is good for both consumers and producers, said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. “If you fight with shale producers in the US, if someone wants to do it, you need oil cheaper than $40 per barrel. It will be bad for everyone. Russia focuses on maintaining the price in the range of $60–70; it is good for investment, for stability.

Learn more