undermining

Use Undermining in a sentence

verb (used with object), un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing.

to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.

to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.

to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.

to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English underminen. See under-, mine²

Related forms

un·der·min·er, noun

un·der·min·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source

Link To undermining

00:10

Undermining is always a great word to know.

So is callithumpian. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

undermine (ˌʌndəˈmaɪn)

—vb
1.	(of the sea, wind, etc) to wear away the bottom or base of (land, cliffs, etc)
2.	to weaken gradually or insidiously: their insults undermined her confidence
3.	to tunnel or dig beneath

under'miner

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

undermine

c.1300, undermyne, from under + mine (v.). The fig. sense is attested from c.1430. Cf. Du. ondermijnen, Dan. underminere, Ger. unterminiren.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Example sentences

Their attempt is no less than the undermining of our future.

Government policies, therefore, should respect and support family and civil

society instead of undermining or supplanting them.

In ways both subtle and not so subtle, the movement is gradually undermining

academic freedom.

They have every right to not promote a magazine which is purposely undermining