/ English Dictionary |
UNDERMINE
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they undermine ... he / she / it undermines
Past simple: undermined
-ing form: undermining
Sense 1
Meaning:
Hollow out as if making a cave or opening
Example:
The river was caving the banks
Synonyms:
cave; undermine
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "undermine" is one way to...):
core out; hollow; hollow out (remove the interior of)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "undermine"):
sap (excavate the earth beneath)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Sense 2
Meaning:
Destroy property or hinder normal operations
Example:
The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war
Synonyms:
counteract; countermine; sabotage; subvert; undermine; weaken
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Hypernyms (to "undermine" is one way to...):
disobey (refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "undermine"):
derail (cause to run off the tracks)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something