as in erosion
a gradual weakening, loss, or destruction
the view that the constant mudslinging and negative campaigning contributes to the undermining of the public's faith in politics and government
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in weakening
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undermining
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
This is a direct undermining of the idea of art.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Long commute times are certainly frustrating, but continual undermining of mass transit projects isn’t going to solve the problem.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
What is the purpose of this layering and undermining of the story’s authenticity?
—John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The undermining of an independent judiciary.
—Richard Stengel, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
What is required is a pullback - on huge deficits, on aggravating international and internal relationships, and on the undermining of historical foundations of the United States.
—John S. Tobey, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Flores and Cantello also said many of their colleagues were placed on administrative leave after signing a letter of dissent criticizing EPA leadership’s undermining of public trust and disregard for scientific consensus.
—William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Under the border agreement, the firms involved can earn more than $1 billion over a decade, the human rights group said, accusing the government of undermining national sovereignty by privatizing state responsibilities.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Future infrastructure will be central to whether Texas can accommodate new industries without undermining quality of life.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Even the scenes in the endlessly maligned New York City (played at least partially by Fort Worth, Texas) look beautiful, undermining the nightmarish declarations of Sheridan’s scripts.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
More like completely disrupting and undermining public education, using students as pawns to make a political statement.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
For most of the evening, the mood is darkly funny and a little ominous, as the siblings take undermining jabs and the in-laws roll their eyes.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Nonetheless, the company’s foreboding forecast highlights a rapidly changing labor landscape as colleges and universities face an existential threat, undermining the value of degrees.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 Mar. 2026
There was defensive frailty and profligacy undermining their own attacking efforts.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
The concentration of power in one person, the undermining of elections, disregarding the rule of law, the weakening checks and balances, and replacing constitutional loyalty with personal loyalty.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
This is a direct undermining of the idea of art.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Long commute times are certainly frustrating, but continual undermining of mass transit projects isn’t going to solve the problem.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
What is the purpose of this layering and undermining of the story’s authenticity?
—John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The undermining of an independent judiciary.
—Richard Stengel, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
What is required is a pullback - on huge deficits, on aggravating international and internal relationships, and on the undermining of historical foundations of the United States.
—John S. Tobey, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Flores and Cantello also said many of their colleagues were placed on administrative leave after signing a letter of dissent criticizing EPA leadership’s undermining of public trust and disregard for scientific consensus.
—William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
European Union leaders on Thursday lashed out at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, accusing him of hijacking critical aid for Ukraine and undermining EU decision-making in an effort to win an election at home.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Under the border agreement, the firms involved can earn more than $1 billion over a decade, the human rights group said, accusing the government of undermining national sovereignty by privatizing state responsibilities.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Future infrastructure will be central to whether Texas can accommodate new industries without undermining quality of life.
—Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Even the scenes in the endlessly maligned New York City (played at least partially by Fort Worth, Texas) look beautiful, undermining the nightmarish declarations of Sheridan’s scripts.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
More like completely disrupting and undermining public education, using students as pawns to make a political statement.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
For most of the evening, the mood is darkly funny and a little ominous, as the siblings take undermining jabs and the in-laws roll their eyes.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Nonetheless, the company’s foreboding forecast highlights a rapidly changing labor landscape as colleges and universities face an existential threat, undermining the value of degrees.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 Mar. 2026
There was defensive frailty and profligacy undermining their own attacking efforts.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermining
Noun
-
Other improvements include adding erosion-control measures to prevent soil from washing away, installing new fencing to guide trail users and protect nearby areas, and landscaping to revegetate areas affected by construction.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Aggressive turning or tilling harms microorganisms, kills beneficial insects and earthworms, increases erosion, removes air pockets, releases carbon into the atmosphere and brings dormant weed seeds to the surface, where conditions are perfect for their growth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The aims have ranged from weakening Iran's nuclear program, missile program and support for armed proxies to enabling the Iranian people to overthrow the theocracy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
But that same logic was applied to other things like weakening labor protections, with factories shutting down and the country beginning to see the demise of labor unions.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The round caused a severe hand injury, damaging multiple fingers and resulting in significant loss of functionality, according to police.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
One of Scarpetta’s digressions in particular is damaging to the show’s fortunes.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Like Season 1’s Ronald Gladden, Anthony Norman proves there really are a few lovely gems still sprinkled among our ever-eroding society.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Heidi was pioneering how reality TV could turn old news into melodrama, eroding any distance between entertainment and fact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By impairing onboard cameras and targeting optics, the platform offers a non-kinetic method of mitigating UAV threats without physically destroying the aircraft.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
These compounds may block iodine transport to the thyroid, impairing thyroid function.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His comeback hits a major hitch, however, when his lawyer Ira (Hill) gets wind of a compromising video that threatens to destroy Reed’s reputation.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Our role as producers is to find partners who can match that scale of ambition without compromising the intimacy of their vision.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undermining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermining. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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