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 The synching, so early in the story, of Chuck’s decline to the world’s destruction almost completely undermines the ensuing Acts Two and One, leaving them little more to do than a working-out of the plot. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 For Beijing, portraying a welcoming, modern, and culturally rich image is merely an effort to balance the global discourse, not to attack or undermine other nations. Zichen Wang, semafor.com, 16 June 2025 But when a bedrock environmental law is used to cause measurable environmental harm — for example, by displacing housing developments to agricultural and open lands — that undermines political support for the law. Daniel Yost, Mercury News, 16 June 2025 This growing crisis is undermining trust in the safety net and exhausting community support. Christina Hanson, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for undermine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermine
Verb
  • Abandoning recognition can erode motivation, diminish engagement and make employees feel invisible, weakening the cultural fabric and undermining long-term resilience.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • But in an unexpected ruling in 2023, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
    June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Damages to roots, caused by fertilizer burns or cultivation, can also be a factor in impairing nutrient and water uptake.
    Nora Doonan, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
  • Mocktails also have the advantage of not impairing your judgment or motor skills the way alcohol can.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • Opaque brokerage fees can erode returns, while fraud is a constant risk.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • So many of our city’s small businesses operate on very thin profit margins, and the time and money these entities spend to undo these infuriating criminal acts erode those margins further still.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Worn restorations: Dental fillings, crowns, and restorations can also become damaged or worn over time, exposing dentin and raising the risk of tooth decay.
    Mark Gurarie, Health, 21 June 2025
  • There is radiological and chemical contamination at the Natanz facility, where an above-ground portion of the fuel enrichment plant was damaged after a military strike on June 13, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi told the United Nations Security Council on Friday.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • The answer was clear—a breach that compromised credit card data and cost us our PCI DSS compliance, threatening both our reputation and our ability to process payments.
    Aleksandr Yampolskiy, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Once the user follows through, the system is compromised without needing a traditional exploit.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Undermine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermine. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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