Meaning & use
undercutting
Last updated
“undercutting” is a form of “undercut”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Selling goods or services at a lower price than a competitor.
Grammar: Takes an object: undercut a rival. Often used in the continuous form 'is undercutting'.
Patterns
- undercut someone
- undercut prices
- undercut the competition
The new store is undercutting local shops by offering huge discounts.
They accused the company of undercutting its rivals to win the contract.
Online sellers are undercutting traditional bookstores.
verbtransitive
Weakening or undermining something, such as an effort or authority.
Grammar: Takes an object: undercut an argument. Often used in the continuous form 'is undercutting'.
Patterns
- undercut something
- undercut someone's authority
The constant criticism is undercutting her confidence.
His comments were undercutting the team's morale.
The scandal is undercutting public trust in the agency.
Word forms
| third person singular | undercuts |
|---|---|
| past tense | undercut |
| past participle | undercut |
| -ing form | undercutting |
Common combinations
- undercut prices
- The chain undercut prices to attract more customers.
- undercut the competition
- They undercut the competition by offering free delivery.
- undercut someone's authority
- The deputy's actions undercut the manager's authority.
- undercut wages
- Some employers undercut wages by hiring temporary workers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- undermine
- Undermine means to weaken something gradually, often used for abstract things like confidence or authority.
- underbid
- Underbid means to offer a lower price in a bidding situation, a narrower term than undercut.
Opposites
Word family
- undercut verb
- The base form meaning to sell cheaper or weaken.
Commonly confused: undercutting or undercut?
undercutting vs undercut
Undercut is the base form and past tense; undercutting is the -ing form used in continuous tenses.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'undercutting' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Undercutting takes a direct object, so 'undercutting its rivals' is correct. Options 1, 2, and 3 use unnecessary prepositions before the object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “undercutting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.