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80% GOOD (5 votes)odpovedalaLanguage Question
Meaning of "to undermine"

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sparkyyy profile picture sparkyyyAugust 2019
Most of the time, "to undermine" means to weaken something, usually secretively.
"They undermined my reputation by spreading rumors about me"
"He undermined my plan by destroying all of my research"
It can also mean to wash away material from underneath something.
  • susoline profile picture susolineSeptember 2019
    I have had experience of very apparent undermining which was not the slightest bit secret. The emphasis is on the wearing away, eating away, eroding of efforts by an individual or group. It does not state that the agent with negative intentions succeeds, it is just above the negative act.