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WordBand 7.5–8.5Toofey picks
undermine
/ʌndəˈmaɪn/
verb
To weaken something gradually.
- “Constant criticism can undermine a child's confidence.”Toofey
- “I am certainly not undermined by any of life's struggles.”Tatoeba
Sentences from Tatoeba show real usage. A word can have several meanings, so a sentence may use another one.
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More in Academic writing →
evidencenounFacts or signs that show something is true.
find outPhrasal verbTo get information about something.
substantiateverbTo prove that a claim is true by giving evidence.
gridlocknounA situation where nothing can move, especially traffic.
rely onPhrasal verbTo depend on someone or something.
disparitynounA noticeable and often unfair difference between two things.
backlashnounA strong negative reaction from many people.
ripplenounA small wave, or a spreading effect that grows from one event.
Source: Written for Toofey (original); Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR); New Academic Word List (Browne, Culligan & Phillips) (CC BY-SA 4.0); Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)