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
But reliance on soldiers of fortune undermined the Kremlin’s message of national unity and allowed an overwhelming majority of Russians to stay uninvolved.
—
Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
That mission has now been undermined.
—John Eger, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
The president has publicly floated the idea of removing him, arguing that higher borrowing costs threatened economic growth and undermined his administration’s policies.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Some political scientists see a pattern that suggests American democracy is being undermined in real time.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Advocates for athletes’ rights should avoid repeating the same transparency double-standards that have long undermined those rights, and instead champion the vital role open records—from coaching deals to athletic department budgets—have played in advancing their cause.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025
And to see that being undermined by the long arm of the federal government is extremely dangerous.
—NBC news, 21 Sep. 2025
Kennedy has repeatedly undermined the MMR vaccine.
—Mackenzie France, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
This slow adoption stems from a low tolerance for errors, past disappointments with AI and a belief that years of legal training shouldn't be undermined by machine learning—all valid perspectives widely discussed in the industry.
—Matthew Sole, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
That mission has now been undermined.
—John Eger, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
The president has publicly floated the idea of removing him, arguing that higher borrowing costs threatened economic growth and undermined his administration’s policies.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Some political scientists see a pattern that suggests American democracy is being undermined in real time.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Advocates for athletes’ rights should avoid repeating the same transparency double-standards that have long undermined those rights, and instead champion the vital role open records—from coaching deals to athletic department budgets—have played in advancing their cause.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 22 Sep. 2025
And to see that being undermined by the long arm of the federal government is extremely dangerous.
—NBC news, 21 Sep. 2025
Kennedy has repeatedly undermined the MMR vaccine.
—Mackenzie France, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
This slow adoption stems from a low tolerance for errors, past disappointments with AI and a belief that years of legal training shouldn't be undermined by machine learning—all valid perspectives widely discussed in the industry.
—Matthew Sole, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
-
Humberto weakened slightly to a high-end Category 4 hurricane Sunday morning.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
-
So while the law still technically exists in Texas, its enforcement has been weakened.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Israeli public support for the war, which was overwhelming at the beginning, has significantly eroded.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The job market is particularly tough for recent graduates because hiring in white-collar industries including technology has slowed significantly and advances in artificial intelligence have eroded some of the entry-level jobs that used to be a springboard for them.—
Michael Sasso,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Several businesses were damaged, roads were left with deep cracks, and an old Roman Catholic church in nearby Daanbantayan town was also damaged, Cañete said.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
But, after that, most military analysts believe that the Indian military performed quite well and that Pakistani military installations were severely damaged.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Business leaders continue to host events along East Colfax Avenue to boost the morale (and sales) of restaurants and boutiques impaired by ongoing construction of the Bus Rapid Transit line.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The Army’s land components are similarly impaired by anemic enlistment figures and obsolete technology.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stella is one of multiple Wisconsin communities whose drinking water has been compromised with PFAS contamination.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In Golden’s incessant reliance on mostly postmodernist strategies of production, the complex reality of the subject is not only diluted, but also compromised.—
Simon Njami,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
However, as Ozzy's health deteriorated, the project shifted into a film instead.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Stone, brick and window work has deteriorated.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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