undoing

noun

un·​do·​ing ˌən-ˈdü-iŋ 

1

: an act of loosening : unfastening

2

: ruin

also : a cause of ruin

greed was to prove his undoing

3

: annulment, reversal

Synonyms

• death
• destruction
• downfall
• ruin
• ruination

Examples of undoing in a Sentence

My quick temper was my undoing.

His quick temper helped lead to his undoing.

The incident resulted in her undoing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Woods falls victim to hysteria, and in an ironic turn, the very hysteria Rodney readily whips up for personal gain proves to be his undoing. —Barry Levitt, TIME, 28 Nov. 2024

But these successes are what became the show’s undoing. —Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2024

This aging champion for the little guy yearns for a fight at every occasion, not aware that his stubbornness and ego have proved to be his undoing, and Washington responds with a harried, vulnerable performance. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024

In quick succession, however, three key incidents turned out to be the undoing of a furious Hansi Flick and his men starting with Marc Casado's careless dismissal for a second yellow card. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

undoing

noun

un·​do·​ing ˌən-ˈdü-iŋ 

1

: an act or instance of unfastening

2

a

: ruin entry 1 sense 1

parental neglect helped lead to their undoing

b

: a cause of ruin

my quick temper was my undoing

3

: reversal, annulment