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
Over his 18-year tenure at the Fed, Greenspan embodied the omnipotent technocrat — a legacy critics say was fatally undermined by his failure to spot the 2008 housing bubble.
—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
Only one in five workers was fully engaged; one in seven actively undermined the firm.
—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
The strikes, as well as what an Israeli official said were multiple efforts by Hezbollah to target Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon overnight, have quickly undermined a ceasefire that only came into effect late Friday.
—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
For years, Haitian soccer was undermined by the country’s political instability, poor administration of its football federation, unpaid players and scandal.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
But the Milan court found that evidence cited during recent proceedings undermined the document's validity.
—
Anna Matranga,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Rojas on Thursday said his capture undermined the confidence of the rank and file but did not derail the dialogue process.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
There appeared to be an increasing tendency to control the flow of information and decision‐making, creating barriers that undermined the Commission’s ability to function as an independent body.
—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
The collapse of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum bill last month was ugly — a worthy project undermined by controversial amendments and political maneuvering.
—
Justin Shubow,
Washington Post,
15 June 2026
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
Only one in five workers was fully engaged; one in seven actively undermined the firm.
—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
The strikes, as well as what an Israeli official said were multiple efforts by Hezbollah to target Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon overnight, have quickly undermined a ceasefire that only came into effect late Friday.
—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
For years, Haitian soccer was undermined by the country’s political instability, poor administration of its football federation, unpaid players and scandal.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
But the Milan court found that evidence cited during recent proceedings undermined the document's validity.
—
Anna Matranga,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Rojas on Thursday said his capture undermined the confidence of the rank and file but did not derail the dialogue process.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
There appeared to be an increasing tendency to control the flow of information and decision‐making, creating barriers that undermined the Commission’s ability to function as an independent body.
—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2026
The collapse of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum bill last month was ugly — a worthy project undermined by controversial amendments and political maneuvering.
—
Justin Shubow,
Washington Post,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
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The decision weakened the federal Voting Rights Act’s protections against racially discriminatory redistricting.
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Brexit’s tortuous complexity weakened governance and led to parliamentary deadlock.
Verb
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Beyond hiring and leadership decisions, trust is also built or eroded through everyday behavior.
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Starmer is leaving after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.
Verb
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Joshua Serad, of Maple Shade, stole and damaged Pride flags Monday in the business district of Haddonfield on Kings Highway, according to police.
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Flying bricks damaged the crossing’s signal arms, and the crossing was closed by Union Pacific.
Verb
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Parents risk intervention if a child-protection agency determines that their drug use has impaired their ability to parent.
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What that does is ensure that downstream water users are not impaired by our use of the roof runoff at this building.
Verb
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And as of now, the TCA doesn’t want to appear compromised by accepting sponsorship from the very networks and streamers it’s supposed to be impartially judging.
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If email remains compromised, a hacker can keep undoing every recovery step.
Verb
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The Downfall and Freefall documentaries argue that Boeing’s company culture deteriorated as company execs prioritized profits and a rising share price over safety.
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By 2024, his health had deteriorated to the point of requiring continuous oxygen, leading to his evaluation for a groundbreaking dual-organ transplant under the HOPE Act.
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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