un·der·cut
ˌən-dər-ˈkət 
undercut; undercutting
1
: to cut away the underpart of
undercut a vein of ore
2
: to cut away material from the underside of (an object) so as to leave an overhanging portion in relief
3
: to offer to sell at lower prices than or to work for lower wages than (a competitor)
4
: to cut obliquely into (a tree) below the main cut and on the side toward which the tree will fall
5
: to strike (a ball) with a downward glancing blow so as to give a backspin or elevation to the shot
6
: to undermine or destroy the force, value, or effectiveness of
inflation undercuts consumer buying power
: to perform the action of cutting away beneath
un·der·cut
ˈən-dər-ˌkət
1
British
: tenderloin sense 1
2
: the action or result of cutting away from the underside or lower part of something
3
: a notch cut in the base of a tree before felling to determine the direction of falling and to prevent splitting
Examples of undercut in a Sentence
Verb
They undercut the competing store by 10 percent.
a law that undercuts the Constitution
Her behavior undercuts her own credibility.
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Steinberg, TIME, 30 May 2024
The business barely broke even because big wholesalers had begun selling the same merchandise to grocery stores, undercutting the Goldsteins.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 27 May 2024
Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2024
This dramatic style features an ultra-short undercut on one side, while letting the other side skim long down the face.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for undercut 
Verb
Focused on the Chinese market for now, Xiaomi priced the base model around $30,000 to undercut the Model 3, and in less than one month had orders for more than 70,000 cars.
—Don Steinberg, TIME, 30 May 2024
The business barely broke even because big wholesalers had begun selling the same merchandise to grocery stores, undercutting the Goldsteins.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 27 May 2024
Noun
There are many different types of taste buds, but all have stalks and papilla that round out with undercuts under the stalks, similar to the shape of a mushroom, explains Dr. Fraundorf.
—Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2024
This dramatic style features an ultra-short undercut on one side, while letting the other side skim long down the face.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for undercut
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undercut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Undercut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undercut. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
undercut
1 of 2 verb
un·der·cut
ˌən-dər-ˈkət
undercut; undercutting
1
: to cut away the underpart of something or material beneath something
2
: to offer to sell at lower prices than or to work for lower wages than
undercut a competitor
3
: to strike so as to give a backspin or height to the shot
a tennis player undercutting the ball
undercut
2 of 2 noun
un·der·cut
ˈən-dər-ˌkət
: the action or result of undercutting
Medical Definition
undercut
noun
un·der·cut
ˈən-dər-ˌkət
: the part of a tooth lying between the gum and the points of maximum outward bulge on the tooth's surfaces
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