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

Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026

Harvard-Westlake’s final undoing came in the fifth inning with the game tied 1-1. —Gqlshare, Daily News, 27 May 2026

That sort of sample size is more than enough to infuse the young upstarts with extreme confidence, perhaps countering the massive gap in playoff experience that was supposed to be the Spurs’ undoing. —Sam Amick, New York Times, 25 May 2026

Growing violence in the region has hampered the response and played a role in the undoing of the public health infrastructure in the area. —Daniel Payne, STAT, 19 May 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