Undermine (Verb)
Meaning 1
Destroy property or hinder normal operations; "The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Vandals sought to undermine the city's parking infrastructure by destroying meter machines.
- The rival company's tactics threatened to undermine the startup's already fragile financial situation.
- Terrorists attempted to undermine the government's control by targeting key infrastructure and public buildings.
- The notorious hacker collective set out to undermine the website's security, causing widespread disruptions to users.
- The protest organizers planned to undermine the company's operations by blocking access to their main offices.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
Hollow out as if making a cave or opening; "The river was caving the banks".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The constant flow of water began to undermine the riverbank, causing large chunks to break off into the current.
- Years of heavy rainfall had undermined the cliff face, leaving it unstable and prone to rockfalls.
- The old mine had undermined much of the hillside, and now large caverns were hidden beneath the surface.
- Subterranean streams undermined the base of the mountain, slowly eroding its foundation.
- The ocean waves continued to undermine the coastal rock formations, carving out arches and hidden passageways over time.