Definition of Undermine

Undermine

To excavate the earth beneath, or the part of, especially for the purpose of causing to fall or be overthrown; to form a mine under; to sap; as, to undermine a wall.

Fig.: To remove the foundation or support of by clandestine means; to ruin in an underhand way; as, to undermine reputation; to undermine the constitution of the state.

Related Definitions:

An, As, Be, Beneath, By, Causing, Clandestine, Constitution, Earth, Especially, Excavate, Fall, Fig, For, Form, Foundation, In, Mine, Of, Or, Overthrown, Part, Purpose, Remove, Reputation, Ruin, Sap, State, Support, The, To, Under, Underhand, Undermine, Wall, Way

Undermine Quotations

I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself. To undermine a man's self-respect is a sin.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Undermine their pompous authority, reject their moral standards, make anarchy and disorder your trademarks. Cause as much chaos and disruption as possible but don't let them take you ALIVE.
Sid Vicious

The financial crisis should not become an excuse to raise taxes, which would only undermine the economic growth required to regain our strength.
George W. Bush

In this time the enemy began to undermine our fort, which was situated sixty yards from Kentucky River.
Daniel Boone

If allowed to run free of the social system, capitalism will attempt to corrupt and undermine democracy, which is after all not a natural state.
John Ralston Saul

I'm not the one who was elected. I would never do anything to undermine my husband's point of view.
Laura Bush

I would never do anything to undermine my husband's point of view.
Laura Bush

To suggest that Quebecers willingly give up the chance to exercise fully their influence within the federal government would be to betray the historical role Quebec has always played in Confederation, and to undermine the legitimacy of their pride and ambitions.
Kim Campbell

We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.
Christiane Amanpour

We have a history of gender and racial bias on our court that continues to undermine the system. Excluding individuals based on race is antagonistic to the pursuit of justice.
Anita Hill

We must level with the people and explain to them that Social Security will first face funding problems in 2042 that can be fixed now with changes that do not undermine and ultimately drain from the entire program.
Grace Napolitano

When you're expected to win and you have the press saying that you are going to win the Olympic gold medal, and you're the only sure thing in the Olympics, it can undermine your confidence.
Scott Hamilton

The African Union has to act in order to put an end to armed conflicts that undermine the continent, to fight against the devastation caused by AIDS and other contagious diseases, to promote sustainable development of its member states.
Omar Bongo

And so in my warnings, I was pointing to a number of incidents around the communion that could undermine our growing sense of communion - of becoming a global communion. So that's why I pointed to New Westminster in Canada, to incidents in the United States, and Sydney itself.
George Carey

However, the Administration's plan to privatize Social Security will undermine retirement security for all Americans by cutting guaranteed benefits by more than 40 percent, and risky private accounts won't make up for the loss of benefits for millions of Americans.
Ruben Hinojosa

Christmas is taken very seriously in this household. I believe in Father Christmas, and there's no way I'd do anything to undermine that belief.
Carol Ann Duffy

Well we are hoping that the power of the community of free nations is such that our sovereignty our rights are not going to be challenged by anybody who's going try to undermine the freedom, the openness of our societies and our security.
Douglas Feith

I'm concerned about the insidious influence of the media's bad messages that undermine the lessons parents try to instill in their sons and daughters.
John Ratzenberger

In my first year as governor, we solved some of the problems that had begun to undermine the Open Records Act. We gave the act teeth by providing criminal penalties for knowing violations.
Roy Barnes

Criticism and pessimism destroy families, undermine institutions of all kinds, defeat nearly everyone, and spread a shroud of gloom over entire nations.
Gordon B. Hinckley

We will not let terrorists change our way of life; we will not live in fear; and we will not undermine the civil liberties that characterize our Democracy.
Adam Schiff

Judges who take the law into their own hands, who make up constitutional 'rights' in order to strike down laws they oppose, undermine the people's right to have their values shape public policy and define the culture.
Orrin Hatch

If the United States were to cut and run from Iraq, we would send a message of weakness that would embolden our terrorist enemies across the globe. A failed Iraq would destabilize the entire region and undermine U.S. national security for decades to come.
Dennis Cardoza

The president's dream of a worldwide liberal utopia is going to undermine the security of the United States.
Peter King

Despite its enormous power and wealth, China's ruling elite remains absolutely petrified that the free flow of information will undermine its political legitimacy, particularly among China's younger generation.
Tom Lantos

I agree that we must expand opportunities for retirement saving, but we must not undermine this worthy effort with a flawed privatization scheme that takes the 'security' out of Social Security.
Mary Landrieu

The Social Security trust fund is in pretty good shape today and we should not embark upon risky, dangerous schemes which will, in fact, undermine Social Security, such as privatization.
Max Baucus

People who attack others need rationalizations for doing so. We undermine those rationalizations.
Barbara Deming

I'm sure that they will continue to look for ways to try and undermine my support, but I have every confidence that in doing this job for South Dakota, I will continue to build on my support and be able to succeed once again in November.
Stephanie Herseth

No matter what a woman's appearance may be, it will be used to undermine what she is saying and taken to individualize - as her personal problem - observations she makes about the beauty myth in society.
Naomi Wolf

More Undermine Quotations

Undermine Translations

undermine in Dutch is ondergraven, ondermijnen
undermine in French is saper, miner
undermine in German is untergraben, untergraben, untergrabe
undermine in Italian is minare
undermine in Spanish is socavar, minar

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