as in weakened
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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Recent Examples of undermined
Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.
—
Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
The fighting has grounded regional air traffic, threatened desalination facilities that provide drinking water to millions and undermined the safe reputation of modern metropolises such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
One scheme that undermined the agency’s independence was enacted.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Ideology and hypocrisy Sabti says the credibility of the system is also undermined by the behavior of Iran’s own elites.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
The Iran war has undermined the Gulf’s efforts to fashion itself as a financial and cultural center.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Wayward deliveries repeatedly undermined their efforts, turning what had become a source of encouragement into a mounting frustration.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Fallout from the attacks has undermined the Emirates’ efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran despite longtime suspicions of its neighbor across the Gulf.
—Brian Melley, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
The legal market’s credibility is undermined by operators who skirt regulations.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
The fighting has grounded regional air traffic, threatened desalination facilities that provide drinking water to millions and undermined the safe reputation of modern metropolises such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
One scheme that undermined the agency’s independence was enacted.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Ideology and hypocrisy Sabti says the credibility of the system is also undermined by the behavior of Iran’s own elites.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
The Iran war has undermined the Gulf’s efforts to fashion itself as a financial and cultural center.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Wayward deliveries repeatedly undermined their efforts, turning what had become a source of encouragement into a mounting frustration.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Fallout from the attacks has undermined the Emirates’ efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran despite longtime suspicions of its neighbor across the Gulf.
—Brian Melley, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
The legal market’s credibility is undermined by operators who skirt regulations.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
-
Will they be weakened domestically by entering the war?—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Tornado watch ends for central and east-central Georgia A tornado warning had been issued earlier Thursday morning for parts of Marion County, Chattahoochee County and Webster County before expiring once the immediate tornado threat weakened.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s wide popularity has been eroded by the fighting.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
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The landscape first took shape more than 320 million years ago, as wind and rain slowly eroded the forest’s vast sedimentary rock deposits.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Years of sanctions and Ukrainian attacks have damaged parts of Russia's energy infrastructure, limiting the speed at which the country can ramp up production or exports.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He was initially charged with vehicular assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
For each competition, there are separate courses for athletes in the sitting category and for athletes in the standing and vision impaired categories.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And now, while dancing is not impossible, it is compromised, limited.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
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An argument certainly can be made, and indeed was made to us, that American security is similarly compromised by Iran’s nuclear ambitions.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Any residual good will between the Pentagon and Anthropic soon fully deteriorated.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But into her sixties and seventies her physical health deteriorated.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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