undercut
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cut under or beneath.
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to cut away material from so as to leave a portion overhanging, as in carving or sculpture.
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to offer goods or services at a lower price or rate than (a competing price or rate) or than that of (a competitor).
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to weaken or destroy the impact or effectiveness of; undermine.
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Golf. to hit (the ball) so as to cause a backspin.
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Tennis. to slice (the ball) using an underhand motion.
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to cut (a sound recording) with grooves too shallow or with insufficient lateral motion of the stylus.
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Forestry. to cut a notch in (a tree) in order to control the direction in which the tree is to fall.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a cut or a cutting away underneath.
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a notch cut in a tree to determine the direction in which the tree is to fall and to prevent splitting.
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a haircut for men or women in which one or both sides and often the back are shaved or cut very short, leaving longer hair at the top of the head.
an undercut with a side part.
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Golf. a backspin.
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Tennis. a slice or cut made with an underhand motion.
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Chiefly British. a tenderloin of beef including the fillet.
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Dentistry. a tooth cavity prepared with a wide base for anchoring a filling securely.
adjective
verb
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to charge less than (a competitor) in order to obtain trade
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to cut away the under part of (something)
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sport to hit (a ball) in such a way as to impart backspin
noun
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the act or an instance of cutting underneath
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a part that is cut away underneath
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a tenderloin of beef, including the fillet
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forestry a notch cut in a tree trunk, to ensure a clean break in felling
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sport a stroke that imparts backspin to the ball
Etymology
Origin of undercut
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English undercutten “to cut down”; under-, cut
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The president’s strategy is coherent and prudent: By systematically pressuring exposed adversaries, the influence of strategic rivals is undercut.
A surge in domestic natural gas supplies unleashed by the shale boom undercut coal’s economics, as did cheap renewables, while state environmental policies accelerated the shift away from coal.
France has led opposition to the deal and unsuccessfully attempted to block it over worries for its farmers, who fear being undercut by cheaper goods from Brazil and its neighbours.
From Barron's
France, however, unsuccessfully tried to block the deal over concerns for its farmers, who fear being undercut by cheaper goods from Brazil and its neighbors.
From Barron's
The compact nature of the production, performed without intermission in just over 90 minutes, awkwardly exposes the melodrama that Ibsen took great pains to undercut.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
