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

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 Fighting escalated late last month, undermining the November 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war. — ABC News, 8 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 Brazil’s attorney general last week accused the US of undermining Brazilian democracy — a central theme for incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who holds a razor-thin polling lead over Flávio Bolsonaro. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal. — Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermining

Noun

Amid the strongest El Niño on record and with warming ocean waters helping fuel the activity, California probably will see more coastal erosion, flooding and damage this winter, especially during high tides.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Significant coastal erosion, caused by several powerful Pacific Ocean storms that raised surf levels and created destructive waves, has triggered a landslide near El Moro Canyon and Crystal Cove State Park.

— Michele Gile, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of erosion

Verb

Mortgage demand continues to drop sharply, as buyers face higher prices and weakening affordability.

— Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
The upper-level trough over the western United States will gradually advance eastward, weakening the influence of the ridge that has kept us hot and relatively dry.

— Michael Autovino, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

The 2025 decision came after the group claimed responsibility for breaking into a major air base, RAF Brize Norton, northwest of London, and damaging aircraft.

— Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
In October 2025, Baja California’s prosecutor said a drone dropped homemade explosive devices at an anti-kidnapping prosecutor’s office in Tijuana, damaging four vehicles but causing no injuries.

— Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of damaging

Verb

Democrats lost the 2024 elections in part because of their eroding support among Latino voters, a constituency that was once a reliable segment of their base.

— Claudia Grisales, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
That issue has attracted international attention as AI threatens to redistribute national income toward profit and away from wages, potentially eroding labor income as a source of tax revenue.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of eroding

Verb

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
Her legal team also presented evidence that her mother drank heavily during pregnancy, impairing Pike’s brain development and her impulse control.

— Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of impairing

Verb

Separating system testing from intelligence testing can eliminate unnecessary consumption without compromising engineering rigor.

— Pritam Debnath, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
The challenge is to move advanced designs into reliable, repeatable production without compromising testing and operational safety.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of compromising

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undermines

undermining

undermost

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Style

“Undermining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermining. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of undermining

noun

verb

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