Library / English Dictionary

UNDERMINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

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

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