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

In the process, the rise of this offshore world also led directly to the undoing of all the efforts to hold oligarchs and their wealth to account. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Ultimately, the provisions meant to lock taxpayers in could be the wealth tax’s undoing. — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026

Nadella, in a nutshell, is saying that heavily relying on proprietary AI software could also be a company’s undoing. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 July 2026

This fantasy of the obedient wife becomes Agamemnon’s undoing. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 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