UNDERMINING Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

undermining 1 of 2

noun

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

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undermining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of undermine

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of undermining

Noun

As is the assault on science, the undermining of research and the promotion of nutty nostrums by those at the highest levels of the federal government. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 The fine reflected an improper disclosure of a draft candidate’s data and the undermining of trade secrets. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 June 2026 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

Verb

Both fringe and mainstream conservatives have portrayed Indian Americans as stealing high-paying tech jobs from white workers and undermining American unity. — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026 Chapek made Iger a starring character in his own memoir, blaming him for undermining his leadership after selecting him for the top job. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption, including with the use of drones, with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Iran and its Houthi allies are now undermining both of those operations. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 The Navy desperately needs more subs, and Baltimore stands to gain thousands of jobs, but making the primary customer a 40 percent owner of a new facility risks undermining market discipline. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 Private equity firms also sometimes own both physician staffing firms and Independent Dispute Resolution entities, creating a conflict of interest and undermining the law's fairness. — Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Such conflicted messaging is undermining the alliance’s ability to deter Russia. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026 China has also entered the fray, with more of an eye to burnishing its image rather than undermining local politics. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermining

Noun

As a super El Niño intensifies in the Pacific Ocean, coastal beach erosion is devastating Southern California and beyond.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 23 Oct. 2026
In the hundreds of millions of years since the initial impact, erosion has continued to carve this formation into its current, signature shape.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of erosion

Verb

OpenAI disclosed a pair of safety incidents that involved AI agents weakening their safety monitoring systems during internal coding tasks.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, weakening brand loyalty threatens an advantage established manufacturers have relied on for decades.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

It’s also sparked criticism, with some worried that strangers are capitalizing on gravesites without notifying descendants and risking damaging the sites.

— Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
In Hollywood, city officials may open beach parking garages so residents can relocate their vehicles away from damaging saltwater flooding.

— Ted Scouten, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of damaging

Verb

Over the same time, shooting of Americans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers began to dominate headlines, eroding support for one of the president's major policy initiatives.

— Steve Liesman, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
This stuck ice preserves what’s beneath instead of eroding it.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of eroding

Verb

In my experience, the involvement of ketamine or other drugs invariably makes a bad situation worse – complicating consent, impairing judgment and reducing inhibitions.

— Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Some businesses started selling marijuana under the theory that raw marijuana’s THC is in a form called THC-A, which only turns into impairing delta-9 when heated or burned.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of impairing

Verb

What stood out to me this season was the confidence of designers expressing their own creative vision without compromising their cultural roots.

— Denni Hu, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Let them — especially the new governor, presumably Xavier Becerra — consider enacting new CEQA reforms, holding months of public hearings and ultimately compromising on a deal.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of compromising

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undermines

undermining

undermost

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“Undermining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermining. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of undermining

noun

verb

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