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
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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
Matthew Daly The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2026
The repeal eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, experts say.
—Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Kraft Heinz is preparing to break up later this year, undoing much of the merger forged more than a decade ago by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and private equity firm 3G Capital.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Noun
The repeal eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, experts say.
—Matthew Daly The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2026
The repeal eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, experts say.
—Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
The suit alleges the EPA’s actions violated federal law by effectively undoing a congressional directive.
—Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
Kraft Heinz is preparing to break up later this year, undoing much of the merger forged more than a decade ago by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and private equity firm 3G Capital.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undoing
Noun
-
He was thwarted by Sam two years ago, and Atterton has been desperate for revenge ever since, and has spent his time behind bars planning Sam’s downfall.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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But lawyers for Gavalas' family said Google did nothing to stop his downfall, even as his exchanges with Gemini made clear the vulnerability of his mental state.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA, is currently recommending that a Chicago police officer be fired for shooting and paralyzing a 13-year-old back in 2022.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Though brief, Yoon’s martial law decree triggered the country’s most severe political crisis in decades, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Washington has no answer to any of these questions – only a theory of destruction.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 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
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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
Verb
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With a smooth leather fabric lining, a vachetta leather strap, and the brand’s signature denim logo print, its pattern makes a statement without distracting from your outfit.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
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Balances were a recurrent problem in the Prokofiev, and, with big and often distracting gestures, Kavakos didn’t always keep up with the soloist, the DSO’s excellent concertmaster, Alexander Kerr.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Among them is an allegation that Live Nation threatens to retaliate against venues that work with rivals, allegedly scaring those venues into complying.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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The growing conflict is also drawing concern on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, scaring away carriers that had sought to make a more regular return to the Suez Canal.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This basically turns it into a small T-style driver that provides extra leverage for loosening screws or jammed fasteners.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
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Gražinytė-Tyla led the Philharmonic premiere of his Fifth Symphony, written in 1961 as the tyranny was loosening just enough to make way for the score’s wild emotional topography.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undoing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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