undermineun‧der‧mine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn $ -ər-/ ●●○ verb [transitive] 
economic policies that threaten to undermine the health care systemundermine somebody’s confidence/authority/position/credibility etc The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence.► see thesaurus at spoil
VERB TABLE
undermine
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | undermine |
| he, she, it | undermines | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | undermined |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have undermined |
| he, she, it | has undermined | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had undermined |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will undermine |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have undermined |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am undermining |
| he, she, it | is undermining | |
| you, we, they | are undermining | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was undermining |
| you, we, they | were undermining | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been undermining |
| he, she, it | has been undermining | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been undermining |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be undermining |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been undermining |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Losing the witness will seriously undermine the government's case against Jones.
- The kidnappings undermined several months of delicate peace negotiations.
- The US was accused of undermining international efforts to combat global warming.
- Unfair criticism can undermine employees' self-confidence.
- Alas, his careful pacing and the stars' restrained performances are undermined by a tell-all trailer and an uneven script.
- Inflation has undermined the legitimacy of the market order.
- Local authorities and trade unions will need to respond to gratuitous fault finding and undermining of political leadership.
- Paradoxically, it has not even been able to undermine the relative economic stability of the imperialist countries.
- Relying on math formulas or drills in class, the study suggests, bores many students and undermines their performance.
- The suspension of an integral part of the Convention undermines their expectations.
- These should be laid on the gravel to form a sound base which the fish can not undermine.
THESAURUS
to have a bad effect on something so that it is much less attractive, enjoyable etc: · New housing developments are spoiling the countryside.· The bad weather completely spoiled our holiday.
to spoil something completely and permanently: · Using harsh soap to wash your face can ruin your skin.· The argument ruined the evening for me.
written to spoil something by making it less attractive or enjoyable: · His handsome Arab features were marred by a long scar across his face.· Outbreaks of fighting marred the New Year celebrations.
to slightly spoil something that is generally very good, beautiful, or impressive: · The huge number of tourists rather detracts from the city’s appeal.· There were a few minor irritations, but this did not detract from our enjoyment of the holiday.
to spoil something that you have been trying to achieve: · The bombings undermined several months of careful negotiations.
to spoil a friendly relationship between people or countries: · The affair has soured relations between the UK and Russia.
to spoil a close relationship completely, so that people can no longer trust each other: · Their marriage was poisoned by a terrible dark secret.
informal to spoil something important or something that has been carefully planned: · If there’s any delay, it will mess up our whole schedule.
Longman Language Activatorto spoil someone's work or plans · Don't let me spoil your plans.· This scandal could spoil the Senator's chances of becoming President.· We were going to get married, but then war broke out and spoiled everything.spoil something for somebody · Starting a family so soon would definitely spoil her career prospects for her.
to completely spoil what someone has been trying to do: · Surely you don't want to ruin all our good work, do you?· Serious in-fighting ruined the Conservatives' chances of winning the election.
informal to spoil something important or something that has been carefully planned: mess up something: · The travel agents messed up the arrangements and there was no room for us at the hotel.mess something up: · We secretly organized a party for her, but then Bill messed everything up by telling her about it.
to spoil something that has taken a long time to develop: · The kidnappings undermined several months of delicate peace negotiations.· The US was accused of undermining international efforts to combat global warming.
informal to completely spoil something such as a plan, especially by doing something stupid: · Someone screwed up and what was supposed to be a confidential email was copies to everyone in the company.screw something up: · I can't trust you to do anything right can I? You always manage to screw things up.screw up something: · There was no way he was going to allow her to screw up his plans.
to deliberately spoil someone's plans or arrangements because you do not want them to succeed: · Her father sabotaged her acting ambitions by refusing to let her go to drama school.· The attack is being seen as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the peace talks.
British /throw a monkey wrench in/into something American informal to unexpectedly do something that prevents a plan or process from continuing or succeeding: · "He won't lend us the money after all.'' "Well, that's really thrown a spanner in the works, hasn't it?''· The President's veto threw a wrench into a program that had already been approved by a big majority of the Congress.
to spoil someone's plan, suggestion, or attitude towards something, by saying something that makes it seem less attractive or less likely to succeed: · Her mother had poured cold water on the whole idea of Eva going to Africa.· The committee's final report, just published, pours cold water on government proposals for helping the unemployed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
to gradually make someone or something less strong or effective: The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence. (=make someone’s authority weaker)· I wasn’t trying to undermine your authority.
(=make someone have less confidence)· The situation in the US was undermining foreign confidence in the dollar.
(=gradually reduce it)· His constant criticism was undermining my confidence.
· A number of factors undermine the credibility of these statistics.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Such a perspective also undermines any analysis which sees the audience or classes as uncritically receiving the content of the mass media.· In undermining the notion of essential truth, however, Nietzsche also undermines the notion of an essential self.· Crackdown law also undermines the basic fairness and credibility of justice.· But it also undermined his already fragile self-control.· Not only did it dislocate time and space, but it also undermined the linear structure of conventional narrative.· The work of regulatory agencies was also undermined by budget cuts and a concerted unwillingness to enforce existing regulations.· Exclusion of relevant evidence because of non-conformity to some legal rule can also undermine the factual quality of acquittals.· The inclusion of added emphasis paragraphs would also undermine the clarity of audit reporting.
· McLaughlin wants a chain that caters for buyers rather than browsers, but critics say that further undermines the Waterstone's ethos.· Now we find our concern for goods further undermined.· I suspect that there is a deal, spoken or unspoken, which further undermines the Prime Minister's negotiating position.· This was compared with the situation where capitalist methods of production were used to further undermine pre-capitalist methods of production.· Similarly, the increasing use of urban development corporations ind Whitehall grants in inner cities would further undermine local authorities.· Receiving such help can undermine further an already-fragile self-esteem.· This would further undermine his position both with his colleagues and with the public.· The practices of the press were to further undermine its credibility.
· The claims of the falsificationist are seriously undermined by the fact that observation statements are theory-dependent and fallible.· Current levels of traffic seriously undermine the quality of life in our cities.· This seriously undermines the capacity of national governments to set ethical boundaries for business.· However, these studies and many others that followed were seriously undermined by some fault or other.· They argue that this will seriously undermine the adoption of the Biosafety Protocol developed under the Convention on Biodiversity.
NOUN· Insomnia can severely undermine a person's ability to cope with other problems, including the stress of grieving.
· After this encounter Einstein gave up his specific attempts to undermine the uncertainty principle.· The main issue: a labor provision that Democrats view as a Republican attempt to undermine labor unions.
· The Red Cross claims that every misuse of the symbol undermines its authority and endangers its members operating in difficult conditions.· Dictators and schoolteachers have tried to control it, fearing its contagious power to undermine authority.· The Lords did not in their speeches think that they were undermining the authority of Lawrence.· The president faces issues that can catch him off guard and undermine his authority.· Knowledge of their relationship would undermine their authority, or so they thought.· But his behavior clearly undermined his authority.· This must have infuriated my father and undermined his authority.· Similarly, the increasing use of urban development corporations ind Whitehall grants in inner cities would further undermine local authorities.
· Those claimants undermine the claims of genuine asylum seekers, and no one would wish to defend them.· It greatly undermines his claim to having more public integrity and consistency than the inexhaustibly elastic Clinton.· This relative concept of liberty undermines the claim of interests theory to don the mantle of a liberal theory of contract.· Besides undermining his claim to journalistic detachment, the letter contained faulty political advice.· It is not the present intention to point to inconsistencies, in order to undermine the revolutionary claims.
· Don't undermine the patient's confidence by accusing him of not trying when he can not fulfil a task.· When we do this, we undermine the confidence and competence of our citizens and communities.· She did not mean to be swayed by Cobalt's defence of Maurin, and yet he had undermined her confidence.· Proof that fake Dalís are circulating and fears of further problems could continue to undermine confidence in this market.· This may need to be supported by actual action likely to undermine public confidence in the exchange.· Some were less overtly overbearing, but no less effective in undermining their colleagues' confidence.· It would also be an offence to cause suspicion or undermine the confidence of the people.· Overinvestigation or repeated testing without substantial indication undermines the patient's confidence in the doctor's conclusions.
· This rather undermines his credibility as a detached observer.· This kind of cop-out is also likely to undermine the parents' credibility and the trust put in them.· Charity knew that to protest any more would only undermine her credibility.· The practices of the press were to further undermine its credibility.· I accept that political activity in this country could undermine credibility, but it might just confirm credibility.· The Bible's miracles, so far from supporting its claim to supernatural authority, served rather to undermine its credibility.· Craig seems to have been determined to undermine the association's credibility and to brand its members as troublemakers.· Hume believed that four factors undermine the credibility of reports of miracles.
· You say that this conflict is partly the result of governments in New Delhi undermining democracy in the state.· He argues that protest produces instability and even violence, but in the long run it does not undermine democracy.
· This could undermine the enterprise economy and lead to a reduction in consumer choice.· National economies, however undermined by the transnational economy, coexist and intertwine with it.· It has been in effect now and it has not undermined our economy.· If desertification continues to spread, the dust bowl will not only undermine the economy but also trigger a huge migration eastward.
· One is to sort out anomalies that, as Mr Large concedes, undermine the effectiveness of his two-tier system.· Racial antagonisms undermined the parties' effectiveness.· The committee says the absence of disciplinary action had undermined the future effectiveness of the bank.
· My guess was that they would find their way into the press and would undermine our efforts to settle the health dispute.· But several features of television undermine whatever efforts journalists may make to give sense to the world.· Failure to optimise the level of support to the caring team will undermine efforts to distribute annual leave evenly among nurses.· But the growth of the population continually undermines their efforts.· The consequent noise, fumes and danger will undermine efforts to breathe new life into towns and cities.· A bad leader, on the other hand, undermines your efforts in subtle ways.· Western officials had also worried that it would undermine their efforts to build a joint state.· Moreover, farm subsidies undermine the efforts of developing countries to follow Washington's economic prescriptions.
· Weeping willow roots undermine the foundations of concrete pools and their leaves pollute the water with a toxic chemical akin to aspirin.· They are simply two more of the many forces undermining the foundations of the job.
· Others, convinced that President Ernesto Zedillo is committed to battling drugs, say decertification could undermine his government.· This insurrection was eventually undermined by the government.
· The thought inevitably occurs as to whether his studies and the sharing of his uncle's austerities had undermined his health.· However, the strain of her ordeal proved to have permanently undermined her health.· Cochrane's criticism of the impact of health care has had a lasting influence and is often used to undermine health services.
· But it certainly undermines the idea that gay men, as men, are biologically incapable of restraint.· This will undermine the idea that the dollar needs to stay cheap.· And yet, the archaeological evidence undermines this idea.· They think about who will feel undermined by the idea and whom they will need to win over.· Derrida as joker undermines all practices and ideas, including his own.
· Inflation has undermined the legitimacy of the market order.· Will the West undermine the legitimacy of the regimes it has just saved from the storm?· The closed shop and the wildcat strike have undermined the legitimacy of modern trade unionism.· But Cooper argues that if major Internet providers go along with the plan, it will undermine the legitimacy of the extremists.· Publicizing this may undermine their legitimacy, an outcome they would want to avoid.
· There will no longer be a level playing field and the single market will be undermined.· But concern mounted that the fall in the stock market may start to undermine banks' capital adequacy ratios.
· Recent national reforms had undermined teachers' morale, he said.
· Hastings was against undermining the peace process in that manner.
· Several weaknesses undermine the Government's position.· Men think it would undermine their position at work to deviate from the usual schedule.· Closer inspection tends to undermine this position, which is obviously a comfortable one for the well paid.· This would further undermine his position both with his colleagues and with the public.· The only factor undermining this powerful position is said to be the incompetence of the majority of government employees.· The granting of universal suffrage in 1931 did not immediately undermine their position.· Gorbachev undermined the position of the Politburo when he transferred executive power to the presidency, advised by the presidential councils.· Unbeknown to you the real motive is to question you in order to undermine your position.
· In this way their credibility would be undermined and their power weakened.· Are we not talking about undermining the power of the public sector?· Although the negotiation of rules is a constant process, this does not completely undermine the power of socialisation.· At the same time, beware of undermining their power bases by claiming undue credit for yourself.· The awakening of national consciousness amongst the subject peoples was a major factor in undermining the power of the sultans.
· After this encounter Einstein gave up his specific attempts to undermine the uncertainty principle.· It is exactly that willful abuse of discipline that will undermine an otherwise sound principle.· In so far as leaks advertise unhappiness about a line of policy they undermine the principle of collective responsibility, as well as the confidentiality of proceedings.· But such concessions would undermine the very principles on which the case for tax reform is based.· The proposed legislation undermines the principles of the 1951 Geneva convention.· It does not wholly undermine the principle though it does leave it somewhat tarnished.
· Lax local authority policies and the undermining of policies of restraint on appeal, severely undermine processes of urban regeneration.· Last summer, Karadzic undermined the registration process for national elections.· Too often, unnecessary organisational problems undermine the process.· Hastings was against undermining the peace process in that manner.
· The challenge is to develop a mechanism for doing this which does not undermine the role of nation states.· This may only serve to aggravate matters further and undermine your role as a neutral.· The Army's preference to appear neutral was severely undermined by its role during the Loyalist marching season of 1970.
· A test ban that could not inspire confidence would undermine stability and might even provoke a new arms race.· Paradoxically, it has not even been able to undermine the relative economic stability of the imperialist countries.· This leads to adhoc government intervention which in turn may undermine the consistency and stability of objectives still further.· Sudden and infrequent changes of many inputs clearly undermine stability.
· Contradictions which might seem likely to undermine the system have often the reverse effect.· Stock manipulations and frauds undermine the capitalist system, which requires public investment for capital.
· Problems of this sort will quickly undermine the value of a recruitment system, which is designed above all for speed.· That disappointment can undermine the share value of some biotechnology companies, who lack earnings or revenue from other products.· Such duplication could cause juristic confusion and undermine the very values intended to be protected.· These usually project unpleasant images of older people which subtly undermine their personal value and worth.
· He claims the organisation sent trainees to the lydney based dial a ride scheme - undermining his own work with the organisation.· Men think it would undermine their position at work to deviate from the usual schedule.· Any prisoner suspected of undermining this work was found guilty of sabotage and put to death without trial.· At one spot the Federals succeeded in undermining the Confederate works in preparation to laying an explosive charge.· He undermined all the work that had been done by Mr M with the W family.· But Democrats say the speedup would undermine the work of a commission that is developing standards for a new statewide test.
VERB· By suggesting this they began quite unwittingly to undermine her confidence in the school and in herself.· Carroll first ingeniously sets in place, and then begins to undermine, his creation.· Second, the developing study of the biblical documents themselves began to undermine the rather monolithic orthodox understanding of it.· Moreover, when these societies become industrialised and urbanised another set of values begins to undermine these time-honoured traditions.· If time began to undermine her confidence in such an outcome, it would be different.
· We should support them and not seek to undermine them.· Through good works they sought to undermine the state's political legitimacy.
· Closer inspection tends to undermine this position, which is obviously a comfortable one for the well paid.· Two forces inherent in the current dialectical relations between mass pressure and bureaucratic reforms tend to undermine it.· Luxuries were regarded as tending to undermine morals, so ideal societies were often austere and egalitarian.· Many of the structures and practices that foster the one tend to undermine the other.
· Society has an interest in protecting itself from activities which threaten to undermine the harmony within it.· Out of control it threatens to undermine a game dependent on the good offices of onlookers.· Our two separate lives threatened our plans and undermined our relationship.· His falsity and hollowness are not just the opposite of the true and the wholesome, but threaten to undermine it.
· We have already seen how the creators of wants, the psychology-manipulators in advertising, had set about trying to undermine it.· Lowe wrote claiming that Sutton was trying to undermine him and forge an alliance with the Founders.· He was trying to undermine her self-confidence, make her believe she couldn't stand up to the exigencies of canal life.
economic policies that threaten to undermine the health care systemundermine somebody’s confidence/authority/position/credibility etc The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence.► see thesaurus at spoil- ventriloquism
- ventriloquist
- venture
- venture capital
- venture capitalist
- Venture Scouts
- venturesome
- venue
- Gucci
- Guernica
- Guernsey
- guerrilla
- guerrilla gardener
- guerrilla gardening
- guerrilla marketing
- guess
- guesstimate
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
- guesswork
- guest
- guest book
- guesthouse
- guest room
- guest worker
- Guevara, Che