UNDERMINING Definition & Meaning

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undermining

[ uhn-der-mahy-ning ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act or process of injuring, attacking, or destroying something or someone indirectly or by imperceptible degrees, often leading to a dramatic collapse:
The undermining of Scottish Gaelic as a viable language resulted not from decrees, but from a gradual weakening of independent Scottish institutions.
the act or process of weakening something or causing it to collapse by removing its underlying support, as by erosion:
During the heavy rains, blocked sewers caused the flooding of the basement and the undermining of the wall by water.
the act of digging or tunneling underneath something, as a military stronghold:
The siege works were now close enough to allow the undermining of some of the bastions of the fortress.

adjective

weakening something or someone gradually or indirectly:
Seating students in rows, so they cannot see each other’s faces, has an undermining effect on their engagement.
digging or tunneling underneath something, or removing or eroding its underlying support:
The land along the shoreline collapsed because of undermining waves and currents.

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�ܲ�·��·��·��Բ�·�� adverb

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of undermining¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; undermin(e) ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; undermin(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Sources close to the consultation accuse Jingye of deliberately undermining talks to save the plant by closing down the supply of raw materials.

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Vance has often spoken about the need to fix a "broken culture" that is tearing the US family apart, by undermining men.

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Trump and his allies realize that undermining the legal infrastructure of the nation is critical to their plan to build an authoritarian regime in the United States.

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An Algerian court has sentenced an 80-year-old writer to five years in prison after accusing him of undermining the country's territorial integrity.

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Since Monday the packed courtroom has been the scene of explosive exchanges between the two legal teams – with Depardieu's lawyer Jérémie Assous conducting an aggressive defence aimed at undermining the credibility of the two plaintiffs.

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