Synonyms of sabotage

sabotage 1 of 2

noun

as in destruction

the act of destroying or damaging something deliberately so that it does not work correctly

Angry workers were responsible for the sabotage of the machines.

Officials have not yet ruled out sabotage as a possible cause of the crash.

Related Words

• destruction
• wrecking
• desecration
• vandalism
• ruin
• ruination
• ravage
• demolishing
• ravaging
• demolishment
• vandalization
• desecrating
• defacement
• trashing
• predation
• looting
• plundering
• pillage
• defacing
• depredation
• spoliation
• plunder
• marauding
• pillaging
• despoiling
• despoilment
• sacking
• ransacking

Dissimilar Words

• protection
• conservation
• saving
• preservation
• salvage

sabotage

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to thwart

Related Words

• thwart
• frustrate
• foil
• restrain
• curb
• hinder
• baffle
• impede
• rein
• arrest
• check
• constrain
• hamper
• obstruct
• inhibit
• set back
• tie up
• hold back
• handicap
• halt
• slow
• retard
• bottleneck
• stop
• encumber
• brake
• hobble
• hold up
• slacken
• decelerate

Dissimilar Words

• accelerate
• hasten
• rush
• encourage
• hurry
• push
• speed (up)
• step up
• urge
• spur
• stir
• drive
• help
• facilitate
• propel
• aid
• quicken
• forward
• advance
• expedite
• further
• ease
• goad
• dispatch

2

as in to destroy

Related Words

• destroy
• ruin
• wreck
• annihilate
• wipe out
• harm
• damage
• hurt
• smash
• demolish
• impair
• waste
• devastate
• ravage
• tear down
• spoil
• total
• raze
• wrack
• scourge
• shatter
• plunder
• mar
• despoil
• pillage
• sack
• loot
• ransack
• violate
• bang up
• raven
• break
• vandalize
• deface
• depredate
• spoliate
• desecrate
• maraud
• trash
• tag
• graffiti

Dissimilar Words

• protect
• save
• preserve
• conserve
• build
• salvage
• rebuild

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sabotage

Noun

Russia denied involvement, saying Germany had planted evidence, but NATO is convinced this is the latest incident in the Kremlin’s long-running hybrid warfare campaign of sabotage and cyberattacks. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026

That has involved setting fires, attacking water facilities and power stations, and sending drones for sabotage into European Union airspace. — Emma Burrows, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

Jodie is jealous of my friendship with these siblings and is trying to sabotage it by doing background checks on them to reveal any sordid thing that has happened to them or their kids. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

If the only reward for mastering an AI workflow is a higher performance quota or an impending pink slip, workers will quietly slow-roll, sandbag and sabotage the transition. — Jason Dressel, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026