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
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Ultimately, these were political shotgun marriages — the very thing that made the attachments so powerful at a particular moment in time was ultimately their undoing: In each case, the leader learned that there was no real love there.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
The same issues that plagued them throughout the year were their undoing in the Pacers’ closeout game.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 June 2025
The sad state of their center position led to their undoing.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Noun
Maybe the dutiful nature of this project was its undoing.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Ultimately, these were political shotgun marriages — the very thing that made the attachments so powerful at a particular moment in time was ultimately their undoing: In each case, the leader learned that there was no real love there.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
The same issues that plagued them throughout the year were their undoing in the Pacers’ closeout game.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 June 2025
The sad state of their center position led to their undoing.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undoing
Noun
-
Some slides did have a 1 hour wait time but that was the only downfall. ...—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
-
At a time when countless think pieces have been penned about the downfall of original animation, particularly in the light of recent box office flops from major players like Pixar, Applehans says studios should look to broaden their outlook, instead of relying on tired tropes.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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That conflict of interest was paralyzing when the state auditor worked for the governor and Cabinet instead of for the Legislature.—
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards,
Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2025
-
After her oxygen level reached a hundred per cent, the nurse delivered paralyzing medication.—
Ayesha Khan,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
July 6, 2025: A large scale of destruction in Georgetown, downed trees show the aftermath of raging floodwaters in the South San Gabriel River.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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Distressed styles have also done incredibly well for the brand, with two of its top seasonal styles featuring varying degrees of abrasion, from light fading to medium destruction.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Conclusion While the Fed’s efforts to tame runaway inflation rates has helped market sentiments in the past, its recent hawkish outlook for 2025 is now worrying investors.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But Forbes reported that unraveling TikTok from ByteDance will be all but impossible, and more recently, found that if TikTok is banned, Americans’ data could flow back to China.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
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Jack eventually saves Santa and defeats Oogie by unraveling his cloth, revealing a squirming pile of insects.—
Mike Miller,
People.com,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Relapse is alluring, Bart is intimidating, and Son is mysterious.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
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While the market’s recent volatility can be intimidating, experts generally recommend investors focus on their long-term goals.—
Ana Teresa Solá,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undoing. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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