undermine

Synonym Chooser

How is the word undermine distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of undermine are cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, and weaken. While all these words mean "to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor," undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health
drugs had sapped his ability to think

When is cripple a more appropriate choice than undermine?

The meanings of cripple and undermine largely overlap; however, cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.

crippled by arthritis

When can debilitate be used instead of undermine?

While the synonyms debilitate and undermine are close in meaning, debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

When could disable be used to replace undermine?

The words disable and undermine can be used in similar contexts, but disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

When is it sensible to use enfeeble instead of undermine?

Although the words enfeeble and undermine have much in common, enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

When might weaken be a better fit than undermine?

The words weaken and undermine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of undermine During transitions, leaders must foster hope and clarity rather than allowing emotional baggage to undermine morale, creativity, and performance. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 For another, the very act of landing humans on Mars could undermine the deep astrobiological questions that justify the sampling effort in the first place. Leonard David, Scientific American, 8 May 2025 From Plato questioning whether writing would undermine wisdom, to modern debates about calculators in education, people have long worried that labor-saving tools might reflect poorly on users' abilities. ArsTechnica, 8 May 2025 Miranda Jeyaretnam and Chad de Guzman reported on April 30, 2025, for the 50th anniversary of the war’s end, on how President Donald Trump is undermining U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for undermine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermine
Verb
  • Others may develop it after pregnancy, as the muscles and ligaments around the uterus can loosen or weaken.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 10 May 2025
  • This weakens their ability to tailor experiences and erodes marketing efficiency.
    Amit Jhawar, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Cops charged him with driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired and refusing to take a Breathalyzer test.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
  • In late 2016, McNally had a stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body and impaired his ability to speak.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • Yes, the minerals in hard water stains can eventually erode the metal fixtures and scratch the glass and tiles.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 10 May 2025
  • But the collisions were brutal, eroding Means’ game in short time.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Without being able to urinate it out, like healthy people do, the ammonia would build up and damage first his brain and then his whole body.
    Karen Weintraub, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • All of the 37 public hospitals in Khartoum have been severely damaged and looted, Saad said.
    Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • As Lee notes, the presence of an individual’s credentials in such logs isn’t automatically an indication that the individual himself was compromised or used a weak password.
    Ashley Belanger – May 8, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2025
  • Most experts argue that astronauts would inevitably import some Earthly microbes to the Martian surface, potentially compromising the integrity of supposedly pristine samples as well as that of the planet itself.
    Leonard David, Scientific American, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Undermine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermine. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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