View synonyms for

undermined

[ uhn-der-mahynd uhn-der-mahynd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of undermined¹

undermine ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Trump and his administration have repeatedly criticized, undermined and defunded science on climate change.

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Iraq depends on Turkey for trade, investment and water security, while its fractured internal politics have further undermined the government's ability to take a strong stance.

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She described the rap group's political views on the conflict in Gaza as "valid" however, Mulholland said the band's views were being "undermined and overshadowed" by the group's actions.

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The original promise of Medicare has been "undermined by decades of neglect", the Australian Medical Association's Danielle McMullen says, and most Australians now accept they need to contribute to their own care.

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But Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group which has clashed with Farage in the past, said the examples it had found undermined his vetting claims.

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Related Words

flawed

undermine undermining

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