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
Jeff Howe, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
And amid all of the Niners’ other concerns, that could be their most significant undoing.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Mamdani spent his first week in office undoing much of what Adams had wrought.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Noun
The Chargers’ potential undoing has been obvious for quite a while, as stud tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater are long gone with season-ending injuries.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
And amid all of the Niners’ other concerns, that could be their most significant undoing.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
The automaker spent much of the year undoing decisions made by the previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, who resigned at the end of 2024, as stakeholders in the company — from dealers to union rank and file — were upset with him and unhappy with his leadership.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Mamdani spent his first week in office undoing much of what Adams had wrought.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undoing
Noun
-
Presidential downfall Legislators swiftly overturned the president’s martial law decree after fighting their way past armed soldiers into parliament.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In early January, an anonymous Polymarket trader made $400,000 betting on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s downfall, raising concerns about insider trading.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
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An inspiration to all is assistant manager of excursions Kineret Munoz, who hasn’t let a paralyzing car accident dampen her spirit of adventure one little bit.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In June 2025, EOS demonstrated the destruction of a tank using a Rodeur 330 fitted with an inert warhead, controlled via FPV.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
While navigating Westport by car or on foot is chaotic right now, the goal is to prevent destruction in the future.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
It’s been only about three weeks since Trump toppled Maduro, and already a long line of other flashpoints — from immigration enforcement to Greenland — are distracting attention from what his administration is doing in Caracas.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How to tell her about this terrible event without scaring her?—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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California’s declines can be more properties for sale, nudging sellers to compete on price, and a wobbly economy scaring off some potential buyers.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Other changes to the policy include loosening a ban on donations of taxpayer money to nonprofits; an amendment passed by Council Member Krista Laine allows transfers to organizations of less than $50.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
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But loosening the protections of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model is not supported by current research.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undoing. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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