English verb: undermine | |||
1. | undermine (social) destroy property or hinder normal operations | ||
Samples | The Resistance sabotaged railroad operations during the war. | ||
Synonyms | counteract, countermine, sabotage, subvert, weaken | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | disobey | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | derail | ||
2. | undermine (contact) hollow out as if making a cave or opening | ||
Samples | The river was caving the banks. | ||
Synonyms | cave | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | core out, hollow, hollow out | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | sap | ||