Undo Meaning
/ʌnˈduː/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo reverse the effects of an action.
verbTo unfasten.
Sentence Examples
Please undo the package.
You cannot undo what has already been done.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
If you spill coffee on the document, you cannot ____ the damage.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English undōn, from Old English ondōn, from Proto-West Germanic *andadōn (“to undo”), equivalent to un- + do. Cognate with West Frisian ûndwaan, ûntdwaan (“to undo; rid”), Dutch ontdoen (“to undo”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Pro.[…]it was a torment / To lay vpon the damn'd, which Sycorax / Could not againe vndoe ; it was mine Art, / When I arriu'd, and heard thee, that made gape / The Pyne, and let thee out."
— 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 4:
"But Wigan undid their good work by conceding an avoidable second goal deep into first-half injury time."
— 2011 October 15, Michael Da Silva, “Wigan 1 - 3 Bolton”, in BBC Sport:
"And judging by how well the progressive and youth-favoured party did, many observers suspect this latest round of legal charges are a response to Future Forward's commitment to undo the legacy of military rule and undertake democratic reforms."
— 2019 April 6, Caleb Quinley, “Thailand: Anti-military party leader faces sedition charges”, in Al Jazeera, Doha: Al Jazeera, retrieved 06 Apr 2019:
"Woe is me, for I am undone!"
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
If you spill coffee on the document, you cannot ____ the damage.