as in weakened
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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Recent Examples of undermined
In a statement, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said prosecutors had interviewed dozens of witnesses and conducted an in-depth document review that significantly undermined the case presented at trial.
—
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Trump’s attempts to interfere with the Fed’s decision-making has sparked concern the central bank’s credibility post-Powell is already being undermined.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Without explicit mention of the Epstein survivors, Khanna said Charles’ message on the excesses of executive power was undermined.
—Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Lawmakers passed a technical fix to the Maryland Second Look Act, resolving barriers that undermined the law’s implementation.
—Nicole D. Porter, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said that while the attacks undermined the credibility of Mali’s Russian partners, JNIM is unlikely to take control of Bamako in the near term given opposition from the local population.
—Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The lack of a consistent pass rush undermined Tampa Bay’s bid for a fifth straight NFC South title last season.
—Fred Goodall, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
In any event, Levinson still believes that this inquisition undermined the larger point being made about institutional abuse.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Lebanon truce threatened ahead of talks Multiple attacks undermined a fledgling ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon ahead of negotiations between the two countries in Washington today.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Trump’s attempts to interfere with the Fed’s decision-making has sparked concern the central bank’s credibility post-Powell is already being undermined.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Without explicit mention of the Epstein survivors, Khanna said Charles’ message on the excesses of executive power was undermined.
—Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Lawmakers passed a technical fix to the Maryland Second Look Act, resolving barriers that undermined the law’s implementation.
—Nicole D. Porter, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said that while the attacks undermined the credibility of Mali’s Russian partners, JNIM is unlikely to take control of Bamako in the near term given opposition from the local population.
—Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The lack of a consistent pass rush undermined Tampa Bay’s bid for a fifth straight NFC South title last season.
—Fred Goodall, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
In any event, Levinson still believes that this inquisition undermined the larger point being made about institutional abuse.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Lebanon truce threatened ahead of talks Multiple attacks undermined a fledgling ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon ahead of negotiations between the two countries in Washington today.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
-
This has been a story of unforeseen incidents, such as the unnoticed approach of the storm and the capsizing in front of high cliffs that prevented us from swimming ashore before the cold water had weakened us.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
For Caracas, the engagement offers a chance to attract foreign capital and revive industries weakened by years of mismanagement and sanctions.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the process, however, one of the big distinguishing aspects of TV – the large audiences who once assembled to watch dramas, sitcoms and reality shows – has eroded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At some point, however, those buffers will start to get eroded — especially if higher fuel costs start showing up in household staple goods.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the war has damaged that argument.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Oil infrastructure in the Middle East has been damaged or disrupted in the Iran war.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Spodek said the safety benefits of ensuring bus drivers are not impaired far outweighs any concerns about hassles for the drivers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The director, whose father is also hearing impaired, shared the main reasons the opportunity stuck out to him.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Department of Buildings concluded that the building was structurally compromised by the damage, and issued a full vacate order.—
Doug Williams,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Honermann of amfAR says the other numbers also show that a delicate system for preventing and addressing HIV cases has been severely compromised.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His mental health has severely deteriorated, his financial situation is terrible, and his drug dependency is at its worst.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
An old male Japanese macaque maintained alpha status as his ability to walk deteriorated, but only through an alliance with the alpha female.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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