UNDERMINED Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

undermined

verb

past tense of undermine

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of undermined The scandals involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have undermined the reputation of the monarchy, and the King, still receiving cancer treatment, needs family support as never before. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026 This strategic move undermined the Nazis’ ability to use the monarchy to legitimize their occupation. — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 Defense lawyers have argued that the CIA’s treatment of Mohammed undermined the voluntariness of his later statements to the FBI, even though those interrogations took place after he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026 The failure to overthrow Iran’s regime or destroy its nuclear program, meanwhile, has undermined faith in the United States’ ability to project power effectively. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026 Ukraine's access to Starlink is the main reason for the early successes of its middle-strike drone campaign, which caught Russian forces off guard and undermined their logistics lines earlier this year. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 Ukraine’s access to Starlink is the main reason for the early successes of its middle-strike drone campaign, which caught Russian forces off guard and undermined their logistics lines earlier this year. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Root remains a beacon of hope for England but the trouble is supporters have heard about a desire to build an improved culture so many times before only to see all the admirable words undermined by the players’ deeds. — Paul Newman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also undermined Iraqi oil exports, though Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC has helped get some through the chokepoint. — Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for undermined

Verb

Airstrikes have weakened the regime militarily but strengthened its standing internally.

— Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
That mechanism has weakened substantially since the global financial crisis, and particularly since 2020.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakened

Verb

The new king must steady royal fortunes amid damaging scrutiny of Queen Mette-Marit’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and stepson Marius Høiby’s rape conviction, which has eroded public support for the monarchy.

— Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
If investors intended to have a 10% to 20% allocation to international as part of their strategic long-term planning, that could have eroded to as little as 2% to 5% given the extent of the bull market in the S&P 500 in recent years.

— Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of eroded

Verb

At a key power plant that was severely damaged by the floods, workers started inspecting the facilities Sunday to survey the destruction.

— Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The Don Curry Nature Trail — named for the Troop 326 scoutmaster and Fort Worth attorney — replaced an older trail that had been damaged by erosion.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of damaged

Verb

Riggs said the Teamsters’ safety argument is weakened by the inconsistent safety record of human truck drivers, who have fallen asleep at the wheel or driven while distracted or otherwise impaired.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
The Sacramento Police Department will hold a DUI checkpoint Friday night to identify drivers suspected of being impaired by alcohol or drugs.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of impaired

Verb

Inconsistent performance and a rash of injuries, however, have compromised his production and value ever since.

— Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The statement said the men were members of TeamPCP, which by the authorities’ count, compromised more than 1,000 organizations worldwide.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of compromised

Verb

The Associated Press OSLO, Norway -- Crown Prince Haakon visited his father King Harald of Norway on Monday at the hospital, after the king's health deteriorated over the weekend, public broadcaster NRK reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Her defense says she was prescribed 13 medications over four months as her mental health deteriorated.

— Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

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“Undermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undermined. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of undermined

verb

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