Undermine Meaning
/ˌʌn.dəˈmaɪn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo dig underneath (something), to make a passage for destructive or military purposes; to sap.
verbTo weaken or work against; to hinder, sabotage.
Sentence Examples
Many fear that cuts in the defense budget will undermine the military's effectiveness.
The market tends to undermine the very values that gave rise to it.
Yanni didn't want to undermine Skura's Islamic faith.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The lack of sleep and poor nutrition started to ____ the athlete's performance over time.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The constant criticism began to ____ his confidence and his ability to finish the project on time today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English mine English undermine From under- + mine.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Martin, for instance, had on one occasion undermined a tree sacred to old gods, then stood in the path of its fall, but forced it to fall elsewhere by making the sign of the Cross."
— 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 312:
"The penile mishaps (one involving a bristled toothbrush), severings (one involves hungry ducks) and surgeries cited by Ms. Roach are nothing if not memorable, but her book consistently undermines its own discoveries."
— 2008 April 7, Janet Maslin, “A Sex Researcher Walks Into a Lab, and Then Things Start to Get Comical”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022:
"The growing use of social media to spread anger and dissent in the Arab world has been hailed by western governments as one of the chief justifications for a completely unfettered internet. The US is reportedly funding the secret rollout of technology in Iran in an effort to undermine internet censors in the country."
— 2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 08 May 2025:
"When Morrison mulls the pluses and minuses associated with rebuking Kelly for undermining the government’s public health messaging, the prime minister faces a genuine substantive dilemma, and that goes to the risks of amplification."
— 2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, “Scott Morrison must heed the lesson of Donald Trump and slap down Craig Kelly”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2021:
"The 'partygate' controversy has played a major part in undermining the credibility of Boris Johnson and his Government and has led to calls from senior MPs for him to resign."
— 2022 January 26, “Network News: DfT awaits verdict on COVID 'partygate' scandal”, in RAIL, number 949, page 6:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The lack of sleep and poor nutrition started to ____ the athlete's performance over time.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The constant criticism began to ____ his confidence and his ability to finish the project on time today.