The couple works hard not to undermine one another's authority in front of their children. She hoped no one would undermine her point by disputing the facts she presented. To weaken, injure, or impair, often by degrees. The principal undermined the teacher's authority by questioning her teaching style in front of her students. To weaken by wearing away a base or foundation: Water has undermined the stone foundations. Many people feel that political contributions from special interest groups undermine the democratic process. Undermine is generally used figuratively. Tips: To help you remember the definition for undermine, picture how mining under a structure would weaken its foundation. Synonyms: weaken, corrode, soften, impair, thwart, undercut, tunnel, wreck. Undermining is generally done through subtle means, like manipulation or underhanded comments. Definition: to make something weaker, as if by tunneling under the foundation of a structure. Undermine is generally used figuratively to refer to actions that weaken an abstract structure, like authority. To help you remember the definition for undermine, picture how mining under a structure would weaken its foundation. The events of the past year have undermined people's confidence in the government. Weaken, corrode, soften, impair, thwart, undercut, tunnel, wreck to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way She tried to undermine my authority by complaining about me to my boss. Relying on math formulas or drills in class, the study suggests, bores many students and undermines their performance.To make something weaker, as if by tunneling under the foundation of a structure.The suspension of an integral part of the Convention undermines their expectations.Paradoxically, it has not even been able to undermine the relative economic stability of the imperialist countries.Inflation has undermined the legitimacy of the market order.Losing the witness will seriously undermine the government's case against Jones.Local authorities and trade unions will need to respond to gratuitous fault finding and undermining of political leadership.authority, confidence, credibility, legitimacy, morale, position, stability. Nouns frequently used as objects of undermine. They had spoken secretly to reporters in an effort to undermine the leadership. The US was accused of undermining international efforts to combat global warming. to deliberately say or do things that make someone appear less impressive or less important.Unfair criticism can undermine employees' self-confidence.Alas, his careful pacing and the stars' restrained performances are undermined by a tell-all trailer and an uneven script.These should be laid on the gravel to form a sound base which the fish can not undermine. Originally spelled with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’, undermine has Germanic roots and means 'to weaken, hinder, or impair. But we more often use the word to describe sabotage or the act of weakening someone else's efforts. Information and translations of undermine in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. To undermine literally means to dig a hole underneath something, making it likely to collapse. ► see thesaurus at spoil → See Verb table Examples from the Corpus undermine Definition of undermine in the dictionary.
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