as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
an intractable drug habit proved to be her sad undoing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence
the sudden shriek undid the campers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfastening
to disengage the knotted parts of
undo a tangled shoelace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the mere mention of the home invasion still had the power to undo her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undoing
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Jan. 2026
This quality, though, might have led to his undoing.
—Graham Womack
updated January 15, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Mamdani spent his first week in office undoing much of what Adams had wrought.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Noun
Season 2 moves viewers to Europe to follow Italian surgeon and medical researcher Paolo Macchiarini (Édgar Ramírez), whose unauthorized experiments on his patients became his undoing.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Jan. 2026
This quality, though, might have led to his undoing.
—Graham Womack
updated January 15, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
The automaker spent much of the year undoing decisions made by the previous CEO, Carlos Tavares, who resigned at the end of 2024, as stakeholders in the company — from dealers to union rank and file — were upset with him and unhappy with his leadership.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Mamdani spent his first week in office undoing much of what Adams had wrought.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for undoing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undoing
Noun
-
Presidential downfall Legislators swiftly overturned the president’s martial law decree after fighting their way past armed soldiers into parliament.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In early January, an anonymous Polymarket trader made $400,000 betting on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s downfall, raising concerns about insider trading.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
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An inspiration to all is assistant manager of excursions Kineret Munoz, who hasn’t let a paralyzing car accident dampen her spirit of adventure one little bit.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In June 2025, EOS demonstrated the destruction of a tank using a Rodeur 330 fitted with an inert warhead, controlled via FPV.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
While navigating Westport by car or on foot is chaotic right now, the goal is to prevent destruction in the future.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This can also lead to exhaustion and burnout with depleted energy, distracting you from your goals.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Men are likelier to hover over players during a game, which can be distracting and intimidating, players said.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How to tell her about this terrible event without scaring her?—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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California’s declines can be more properties for sale, nudging sellers to compete on price, and a wobbly economy scaring off some potential buyers.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Other changes to the policy include loosening a ban on donations of taxpayer money to nonprofits; an amendment passed by Council Member Krista Laine allows transfers to organizations of less than $50.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
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But loosening the protections of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model is not supported by current research.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undoing. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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