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
Critics argue that Lee's response to the Hortman killings—promoting misinformation and making partisan jabs—undermined attempts to build a bipartisan consensus against political violence.
—
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
While North Korea has served as a geopolitical buffer against the US and its allies in East Asia, its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles has undermined regional security and handed Washington a justification to expand its military presence on China’s doorstep.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Defining The Delivery Gap The Delivery Gap is the space where even the best customer-facing intentions are undermined by disconnected systems, siloed teams and a lack of real-time visibility.
—Dj Paoni, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Harris wrote that the Biden administration had undermined her bid for the presidency in the wake of the 2024 election.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 10 Sep. 2025
Bella recalled her childhood as lacking in boundaries, with adults engaged in experimental ways of living which purported to offer freedom but in fact undermined any sense of security.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The plaintiffs claim his acts denied access to justice, violated ministerial duties and undermined the public’s trust.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
If the independence of the Federal Reserve can be undermined without outrage, the next breach is easier to justify.
—Aron Solomon
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Kennedy also undermined the CDC’s vaccination efforts by offering mixed messages about the measles vaccine and promoting unproven alternative treatments.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2025
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
While North Korea has served as a geopolitical buffer against the US and its allies in East Asia, its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles has undermined regional security and handed Washington a justification to expand its military presence on China’s doorstep.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Defining The Delivery Gap The Delivery Gap is the space where even the best customer-facing intentions are undermined by disconnected systems, siloed teams and a lack of real-time visibility.
—Dj Paoni, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Harris wrote that the Biden administration had undermined her bid for the presidency in the wake of the 2024 election.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 10 Sep. 2025
Bella recalled her childhood as lacking in boundaries, with adults engaged in experimental ways of living which purported to offer freedom but in fact undermined any sense of security.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The plaintiffs claim his acts denied access to justice, violated ministerial duties and undermined the public’s trust.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
If the independence of the Federal Reserve can be undermined without outrage, the next breach is easier to justify.
—Aron Solomon
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Kennedy also undermined the CDC’s vaccination efforts by offering mixed messages about the measles vaccine and promoting unproven alternative treatments.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
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The problem is that what gets cut isn’t always cosmetic, and sometimes the very safeguards designed to block harmful outputs, such as hate speech or criminal instructions, are weakened or lost.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, the latest jobs report confirmed that the labor market weakened sharply over the spring and summer and that sectors most affected by tariffs have seen the biggest losses.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Managers heard directly how decisions had eroded loyalty.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Chinese policymakers have intensified efforts aimed at reining in excessive price cuts that have eroded corporate profits while doing little to spur demand.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Six houses were also damaged in the attack, Kondratiev said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Niacinamide, which is a form of Vitamin B3, is rich in antioxidants that help combat oily and sun-damaged skin, according to the brand.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The driver of the car was found to be impaired by alcohol, according to the Richmond Police Department.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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And Probst says the contestants were not the only ones impaired by the conditions.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Define the steps employees must take if a device is lost or compromised.—
Mike Rosen,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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If compromised, malicious radios inside them could be used for simultaneous outages or covert data collection, the FHWA warned.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the relations have deteriorated significantly since the start of the war in Gaza, with Israeli officials voicing growing anger at Qatar, accusing the government of harboring Hamas and not putting enough pressure on it to agree to a ceasefire.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
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The Republican president returned to office in January promising to reinvigorate relations with Netanyahu that had deteriorated under his Democratic predecessor.—
Gram Slattery,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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