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
The same circadian system that morning sunlight activates can be reinforced or undermined by what’s screwed into your lamps for the next 14 hours.
—
Allison Palmer
june 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
The paper argues those guardians both damaged investors and undermined the very mission they were appointed to protect.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Dolci says the post-COVID period reinforced rather than undermined Imax’s position.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
The row between crypto companies and banks came down to whether those offering stablecoin accounts should be able to pay interest on deposits like traditional bank accounts, with banking groups warning that the stability of the financial system could be undermined as people move their money.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
With interest in on-loan Lutsharel Geetruida, there were flickers of worry on Wearside about the core of the team being undermined.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 29 May 2026
During the re-examination of the case, a forensic pathology expert found issues with the assistant medical examiner's testimony about Thomas' time of death, which also undermined the convictions, the DA's office said.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 26 May 2026
Ironically enough, early modern European scholars undermined this framework by attempting to more fully revere their Christian God.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Allison Palmer
june 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.
—Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
The paper argues those guardians both damaged investors and undermined the very mission they were appointed to protect.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Dolci says the post-COVID period reinforced rather than undermined Imax’s position.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
The row between crypto companies and banks came down to whether those offering stablecoin accounts should be able to pay interest on deposits like traditional bank accounts, with banking groups warning that the stability of the financial system could be undermined as people move their money.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
With interest in on-loan Lutsharel Geetruida, there were flickers of worry on Wearside about the core of the team being undermined.
—Michael Walker, New York Times, 29 May 2026
During the re-examination of the case, a forensic pathology expert found issues with the assistant medical examiner's testimony about Thomas' time of death, which also undermined the convictions, the DA's office said.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 26 May 2026
Ironically enough, early modern European scholars undermined this framework by attempting to more fully revere their Christian God.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
-
The long-term confidentiality assumption built into these systems is already weakened, whether or not the users know it.—
Sandy Peng,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Middle Eastern carriers faced severe operational strain amid the disruptions across airspace throughout the region that weakened regional connectivity, as certain countries still having full or partial closures at the time.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
While Google canceled its plan to fully deprecate third-party cookies in Chrome, opting instead for a user-choice model, the signal has already been significantly eroded.—
John Readman,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Corbett says that deputy gangs do not exist in the department, that in the past cliques and subgroups have existed, and that focus on the issue has eroded public trust and deputies’ morale.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
So began the journey to create a hideaway resort sensitive to the natural environment and a marine reserve with the aim to recover the coral reefs damaged by dynamite fishing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
The real risk starts when a pan gets too hot, too damaged or used in the wrong way.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
This has limited transparency and collaboration, restricted direct access to subject-matter experts, and impaired the commission’s ability to operate as an independent fiduciary body.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
-
The woman who was driving the other car was suspected to be impaired, and was arrested at the scene on a charge of operating while intoxicated, MSP said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
In 2020, when attackers compromised the Twitter accounts of high-profile figures, Rachel Tobac, an ethical hacker who studied neuroscience and behavioral psychology before entering cybersecurity, was among the first to correctly diagnose the attack as a social engineering breach.—
Tarika Barrett,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
Nevertheless, issues related to your job, your pet and even your health might feel compromised today.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Analysts say the White House would favor a right-wing candidate, and that a victory for either Valencia or de la Espriella would probably mean a return to closer cooperation with Washington on security policy, after relations deteriorated under Petro.—
Catherine Ellis,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
-
Regarding their own industries, CEO assessments about current conditions and expectations in six months deteriorated since last quarter.—
Sarah Min,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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