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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undermining
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
Josette Walters, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump, however, failed to address growing concerns that AI is proving incredibly damaging, with professors saying that AI is destroying students’ ability to think, undermining children’s social and intellectual development, while teaching them potentially dangerous lessons.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
While Brussels sets the right direction, member states are undermining it.
—David Frykman, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
If Russia cannot convert its manpower advantage into decisive victories, and if Ukraine can keep undermining Moscow’s ability to finance the war, attrition will eventually work in Kyiv’s favor.
—Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Those questions are not about undermining the Center.
—Ted G Callam, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
As Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) publicly claim their dead, new research shows that many previously counted as civilians were in fact members of the terrorist organizations, undermining accusations that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians in Gaza.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on media freedoms and undermining the rule of law in Slovenia during his latest term in office in 2020-22.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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
That’s a barrier, undermining the very mission of the Endowment, which in recent years has made significant investments to expand access to high-quality care for Nutmeg State families of diverse backgrounds.
—Josette Walters, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump, however, failed to address growing concerns that AI is proving incredibly damaging, with professors saying that AI is destroying students’ ability to think, undermining children’s social and intellectual development, while teaching them potentially dangerous lessons.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
While Brussels sets the right direction, member states are undermining it.
—David Frykman, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
If Russia cannot convert its manpower advantage into decisive victories, and if Ukraine can keep undermining Moscow’s ability to finance the war, attrition will eventually work in Kyiv’s favor.
—Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Those questions are not about undermining the Center.
—Ted G Callam, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
As Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) publicly claim their dead, new research shows that many previously counted as civilians were in fact members of the terrorist organizations, undermining accusations that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians in Gaza.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on media freedoms and undermining the rule of law in Slovenia during his latest term in office in 2020-22.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermining
Noun
-
There *are* signs of erosion among his base.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Hess said residents raised concerns about erosion, litter, fire risk and nuisance activity.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Seniors are the most reliable midterm voters in the country, and with the 2026 elections approaching and affordability already their top concern, weakening this program is a risk Republicans should not be taking.—
Joe Hardy,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Police say the semi truck driver went through a median wall, severely damaging it.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Photos on local media and social networks showed fallen trees in Zagreb, pulled out by their roots, some blocking streets or damaging parked cars.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Because of that, Moody’s has taken a number of downward ratings actions against producers, because the oversupply eats away at margins and the capacity to pay debt is eroding.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Rampant corruption is eroding voter confidence in Argentina and Mexico, whose leaders ran on anti-graft campaigns.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By impairing onboard cameras and targeting optics, the platform offers a non-kinetic method of mitigating UAV threats without physically destroying the aircraft.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
These compounds may block iodine transport to the thyroid, impairing thyroid function.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Yet, Scolnick said if there were any questions about compromising safety, a supervisor would ask a controller to stay later for overtime.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
There’s evidently a limit to how far an actor will go in compromising their ability to portray a more youthful person.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undermining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermining. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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