undoing

noun

un·​do·​ing ˌən-ˈdü-iŋ 

1

: an act of loosening : unfastening

2

: ruin

also : a cause of ruin

greed was to prove his undoing

3

: annulment, reversal

Synonyms of undoing

• downfall
• destruction

Examples of undoing in a Sentence

My quick temper was my undoing.

His quick temper helped lead to his undoing.

The incident resulted in her undoing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their win was a victory for method over the madness that always threatened to be Argentina’s undoing. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 July 2026

But then every album’s been a slow undoing of that, and there’s less words on this album than the others. — Nick Reilly, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2026

But that lack of digital savviness was also part of his undoing. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 15 July 2026

In Tabor’s telling, Field comes off as a figure of Shakespearean tragedy, someone whose strengths would paradoxically become his undoing. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for undoing

• brewing
• chewing
• cooing
• cueing
• dewing
• doing
• ewing
• gluing
• hewing
• mewing
• queueing
• queuing

Kids Definition

undoing

noun

un·​do·​ing ˌən-ˈdü-iŋ 

1

: an act or instance of unfastening

2

a

: ruin entry 1 sense 1

parental neglect helped lead to their undoing

b

: a cause of ruin

my quick temper was my undoing

3

: reversal, annulment