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
Given that the Court, under Chief Justice John Roberts, has already significantly undermined past interpretations of Voting Rights Act, there is significant anticipation that the majority-minority districts will be struck down as unconstitutional.
—
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
The plaintiffs claim his acts denied access to justice, violated ministerial duties and undermined the public’s trust.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
If the independence of the Federal Reserve can be undermined without outrage, the next breach is easier to justify.
—Aron Solomon
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Kennedy also undermined the CDC’s vaccination efforts by offering mixed messages about the measles vaccine and promoting unproven alternative treatments.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2025
These last parts of the game are also undermined by gatekeeping.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Take a look Years of storms and erosion undermined the existing landmark area at the corner of South and Whitehead streets.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
What is certain is that, in recent decades, evidence has undermined the idea of inevitability — and inherent direction — in evolution.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Rather than bolstering efforts to save lives, officials in the federal, state, and local government have often undermined them.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, NPR, 19 Aug. 2025
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
The plaintiffs claim his acts denied access to justice, violated ministerial duties and undermined the public’s trust.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
If the independence of the Federal Reserve can be undermined without outrage, the next breach is easier to justify.
—Aron Solomon
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Kennedy also undermined the CDC’s vaccination efforts by offering mixed messages about the measles vaccine and promoting unproven alternative treatments.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2025
These last parts of the game are also undermined by gatekeeping.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Take a look Years of storms and erosion undermined the existing landmark area at the corner of South and Whitehead streets.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
What is certain is that, in recent decades, evidence has undermined the idea of inevitability — and inherent direction — in evolution.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Rather than bolstering efforts to save lives, officials in the federal, state, and local government have often undermined them.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, NPR, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined
Verb
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The problem is that what gets cut isn’t always cosmetic, and sometimes the very safeguards designed to block harmful outputs, such as hate speech or criminal instructions, are weakened or lost.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, the latest jobs report confirmed that the labor market weakened sharply over the spring and summer and that sectors most affected by tariffs have seen the biggest losses.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Google’s overwhelming search dominance may be eroded by itself, as more gen AI players come on the scene.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The letter said the secretary's personnel decisions and policy moves had eroded scientific integrity and threatened the safety of the HHS workforce, raising immediate questions about the capacity of the CDC and other agencies to carry out public-health missions.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Six houses were also damaged in the attack, Kondratiev said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Niacinamide, which is a form of Vitamin B3, is rich in antioxidants that help combat oily and sun-damaged skin, according to the brand.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The driver of the car was found to be impaired by alcohol, according to the Richmond Police Department.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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And Probst says the contestants were not the only ones impaired by the conditions.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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With the deep budget and staff cuts made to HHS, the ability to collect and manage public health data has been compromised in case of disease outbreaks, said Offit.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Here’s how to get money for spoiled groceries when the food in your refrigerator is compromised during a power outage.—
Kristine Gill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By the early 1960s, reforms in Angola had begun to stall as budgets were cut and conditions deteriorated, the museum website says.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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But when the levees failed, thousands of people were trapped inside as supplies dwindled and conditions deteriorated quickly.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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