Synonyms of undermining

undermining 1 of 2

noun

as in erosion

a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction

the view that the constant mudslinging and negative campaigning contributes to the undermining of the public's faith in politics and government

Synonyms & Similar Words

• erosion
• corrosion
• waste
• decomposition
• attrition
• breakdown
• decay
• disintegration
• dissolution

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increase
• gain
• buildup

undermining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of undermine

as in weakening

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.

The events of the past year have undermined people's confidence in the government.

Related Words

• weakening
• damaging
• eroding
• impairing
• compromising
• deteriorating
• destroying
• hurting
• harming
• injuring
• crippling
• spoiling
• enfeebling
• vitiating
• marring
• enervating
• defacing
• disfiguring
• shattering
• breaking
• crossing (up)
• tarnishing
• bloodying
• wearing (away)
• scouring
• ruining
• blighting
• denting
• crabbing
• blemishing
• flawing
• washing out
• wrecking
• endamaging
• demolishing
• torturing
• wounding
• botching
• disabling
• hamstringing
• mutilating
• queering
• tormenting
• lacerating
• devastating
• wasting
• crushing
• decimating
• annihilating
• maiming
• dinging
• mangling
• battering
• dinting
• smashing
• pulverizing
• gumming (up)
• clobbering
• bashing
• razing
• wiping out
• totaling
• tearing down
• dashing
• desolating
• laming
• scourging
• doing in
• banging up

Dissimilar Words

• helping
• healing
• curing
• rehabilitating
• remedying
• rectifying
• improving
• revising
• enhancing
• remodeling
• editing
• enriching
• perfecting
• refining
• ameliorating
• bettering
• repairing
• rebuilding
• fixing
• reconstructing
• renovating
• revamping
• patching
• mending
• reconditioning
• meliorating
• doctoring

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of undermining

Noun

The fine reflected an improper disclosure of a draft candidate’s data and the undermining of trade secrets. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 June 2026

The concentration of power in one person, the undermining of elections, disregarding the rule of law, the weakening checks and balances, and replacing constitutional loyalty with personal loyalty. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026

This is a direct undermining of the idea of art. — Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

Long commute times are certainly frustrating, but continual undermining of mass transit projects isn’t going to solve the problem. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026

What is the purpose of this layering and undermining of the story’s authenticity? — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

The undermining of an independent judiciary. — Richard Stengel, Time, 1 Oct. 2025

What is required is a pullback - on huge deficits, on aggravating international and internal relationships, and on the undermining of historical foundations of the United States. — John S. Tobey, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Flores and Cantello also said many of their colleagues were placed on administrative leave after signing a letter of dissent criticizing EPA leadership’s undermining of public trust and disregard for scientific consensus. — William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025

Verb

The strikers warned that unpaid wages were undermining morale and affecting patient care. — Prosper Heri Ngorora, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Family conflicts related to inheritance are among the most common factors undermining wealth transfers. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Asked about investment in the hospital amid low Medicaid reimbursement rates that are undermining hospital solvency, Roose said over $6 million has been invested in the hospital over the last few months. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026

Researchers fear 'undermining trial integrity' Billions of dollars are traded every week on the lightly regulated prediction market sites, where users bet on everything from movie reviews to elections to conflicts in the Middle East. — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026

The real danger lies in alienating the public, who perceive the company as a bully, undermining the very affection that made Buc-ee's successful. — Allen Adamson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Evidence supporting or undermining the central allegations could emerge through discovery. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Undermining trust By introducing an AI image generator as a Google Earth feature, Google risked undermining public trust in Google Earth as a reliable reference for providing authentic imagery of the real world, Ess said. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

The strikes are part of Kyiv’s aerial campaign aimed at undermining Russia’s war effort, hurting its economy and making people feel the consequences of the Kremlin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. — Dasha Litvinova, Fortune, 24 July 2026