sabotage
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act of damaging equipment or ruining a plan on purpose so that it fails.
n.the deliberate act of subverting, obstructing, or destroying something to prevent its success.
Simple“The factory had to close for two days because of the sabotage of the main machines.”
In context“The investigation revealed that the system failure was not a technical glitch but a calculated act of industrial sabotage by a rival firm.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the general concept.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to damage something or stop a process on purpose so it does not work.
v.to deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct something, especially for political or military advantage.
Simple“He tried to sabotage my presentation by hiding my notes before the meeting.”
In context“The rebels attempted to sabotage the supply lines to prevent the army from receiving fresh equipment during the winter months.”
UsageA transitive verb that always requires a direct object.
“Putin told the AP in June that Russia was not waging a sabotage campaign against Europe.”
“The uprising also claimed the lives of five Australians , two of whom were killed while sabotaging a machine gun to prevent the prisoners from using it.”
Unadapted borrowing from French sabotage.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.