undermine

verb4

1. •
   To dig underneath (something), to make a passage for destructive or military purposes; to sap.

   • Martin, for instance, had on one occasion undermined a tree sacred to old gods, then stood in the path of its fall, but forced it to fall elsewhere by making the sign of the Cross. — 2009
2. •
   (figurative) To weaken or work against; to hinder, sabotage.

   • The war efforts were undermined by the constant bickering between the allies.
3. •
   To erode the base or foundation of something, e.g. by the action of water.

   • Dungeness: The branch to the nuclear power station at Dungeness has been temporarily out of use because badgers have undermined the trackbed. — 2026
4. •
   To regard an object as the sum of the parts that compose it, in object-oriented ontology.