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
For far too long, age discrimination has quietly undermined the security of older workers.
—
Gary A. Officer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
He is also set on handing his successor a strong economy -- a feat that could be undermined by a sudden energy shock reprising the price spikes earlier in his administration.
—Jeff Stein and Ellen Nakashima The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 25 Dec. 2024
The ongoing saga with Harry Kane, who had spent the summer trying to engineer a move to Manchester City, further undermined him.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Unfortunately, Southern Democrats lobbied hard in opposition, and, in a head-turning moment, certain civil rights leaders came out against it, worrying that the power of their communities would be undermined.
—Jerry Goldfeder, New York Daily News, 22 Dec. 2024
Florida's surgeon general has made false claims about COVID vaccines, undermined school vaccine mandates for the measles and said local officials should stop adding fluoride to water supplies.
—Rosemary Westwood, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
However, his lengthy reign was undermined by a lack of title defenses, three over 273 days.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
In the digital era, authorship often seems to be undermined and extended all at once.
—Glenn Adamson, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024
Rather, both countries have exploited and undermined this and other international economic institutions.
—Mitch McConnell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
Gary A. Officer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
He is also set on handing his successor a strong economy -- a feat that could be undermined by a sudden energy shock reprising the price spikes earlier in his administration.
—Jeff Stein and Ellen Nakashima The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 25 Dec. 2024
The ongoing saga with Harry Kane, who had spent the summer trying to engineer a move to Manchester City, further undermined him.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Unfortunately, Southern Democrats lobbied hard in opposition, and, in a head-turning moment, certain civil rights leaders came out against it, worrying that the power of their communities would be undermined.
—Jerry Goldfeder, New York Daily News, 22 Dec. 2024
Florida's surgeon general has made false claims about COVID vaccines, undermined school vaccine mandates for the measles and said local officials should stop adding fluoride to water supplies.
—Rosemary Westwood, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
However, his lengthy reign was undermined by a lack of title defenses, three over 273 days.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
In the digital era, authorship often seems to be undermined and extended all at once.
—Glenn Adamson, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024
Rather, both countries have exploited and undermined this and other international economic institutions.
—Mitch McConnell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
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But the militants, while greatly weakened, have repeatedly regrouped, often after Israeli forces withdraw from areas.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
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Those at high-risk for listeria infection are newborns, those who are pregnant, have weakened immune systems, and those aged 65 or older.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But yet over the course of the 20th century, that land base eroded and in some instances slowly, but then in other instances rapidly.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Although economists continue to predict that growing numbers of jobs will require education beyond high school, public trust in the value of higher education has significantly eroded.—
Matt Gandal,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Its name reflects the fact that throughout the group’s history, the majority of members were vision impaired.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
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Authorities said he was previously convicted of driving while impaired in Harris County.—
Alexandra Koch,
Fox News,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Cybersecurity can potentially be compromised by the same computational capacity that enables the solution of complex issues.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
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Don’t open unknown email attachments and links, as even legitimate senders can pass on malicious content accidentally or as a result of being compromised or impersonated by a malicious actor.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Once strong regional partners, ties between Israel and Turkey have long been frosty and deteriorated further over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.—
Andrew Wilks,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2025
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As Bergen-Belsen’s population skyrocketed from roughly 7,300 in July 1944 to 41,000 in March 1945, living conditions rapidly deteriorated.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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