as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
an intractable drug habit proved to be her sad undoing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence
the sudden shriek undid the campers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfastening
to disengage the knotted parts of
undo a tangled shoelace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the mere mention of the home invasion still had the power to undo her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undoing
Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
But Stanton’s superiority also became her undoing.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Little has nixed, or in two cases line-item vetoed, six bills this session, ranging from undoing cuts to graduate medical education to rejecting an attempt to increase the child-to-staff ratio in certain day cares.
—Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Noun
But his conclusion that the Nazis were no different from anyone else proves to be his undoing.
—Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
But Stanton’s superiority also became her undoing.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Hochul and the Legislature will get the credit from the unions for undoing the Tier 6 reforms, but future taxpayers will get the bill.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Little has nixed, or in two cases line-item vetoed, six bills this session, ranging from undoing cuts to graduate medical education to rejecting an attempt to increase the child-to-staff ratio in certain day cares.
—Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undoing
Noun
-
His downfall was as sudden as an avalanche.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
The Venezuelan Communist Party, which had already distanced itself from Maduro before his downfall, has become another major source of criticism against Rodríguez’s administration.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
These figures can feel abstract, even paralyzing.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
-
Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.—
John Hodgman,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Church, undeterred, was drawn to the idea that those processes offered lessons in destruction and renewal which could be applied to a nation teetering on civil war.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The bottom line is that the pressure on the great American people, because of these people who are, like, really intent on American and Israeli destruction with their nuclear weapons are still in power.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Living Room also extends outdoors to the rooftop Terrazzo Bar with views that are almost too distracting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Plus, nobody will careen past you at 110 mph, scaring you spitless.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This isn’t a film about trauma, or smuggled-in social issues, or anything at all, really, besides the honest workaday business of scaring the bejesus out of its audience, rinsing, and repeating with extra vigor.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Qureshi noted that stablecoins are loosening the iron grip that governments have long wielded over their populations’ money supply, Fortune reported.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Becerra proposes to require cities and counties to approve or deny building permits within 90 days, loosening certain regulations for infill projects and reforming construction defect laws to encourage more construction of entry-level condos.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undoing. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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