Synonyms

undermined

American

[uhn-der-mahynd, uhn-der-mahynd] / ˌʌn dərˈmaɪnd, ˈʌn dərˌmaɪnd /

adjective

attacked, weakened, or defeated by underhand or seemingly harmless actions or by imperceptible stages.

Both the struggling students and the most gifted ones are receiving limited support from an undermined educational system.
weakened or made to collapse by removing underlying support, as by eroding or digging away the foundation.

With the release of material from the undermined cliffs at these sites, we should have had far more sand to feed the beaches, not less.
deliberately weakened by an excavation or tunnel dug underneath, as by an enemy in war.

When the town was besieged, its defenders abandoned the undermined walls and retired into the citadel.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of undermine.

Etymology

Origin of undermined

undermine ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Hobrough said the actions of the former officers "brought shame to our organisation and have undermined public trust".

From BBC

Few regimes have been undermined in the way Tehran’s has in the past two years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Norway's football federation abstained from the process and argued the bidding process undermined "Fifa's reforms for good governance" and challenged "trust in Fifa".

From BBC

Hong Kong's government said, in a statement, it was lodging a "strong protest" after Panama's "blatant act" undermined both the "spirit of the contracts" and "international trade rules".

From BBC

Lots of companies might find their business models undermined if it’s quick and easy to create new software.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023