subvert
v.v. to weaken or destroy something that is meant to be strong or stable. You use this when someone tries to change a system or a person's beliefs in a sneaky way.
v. to undermine or weaken the foundations of an institution, system, or belief. Often implies a deliberate, systematic effort to destabilize or overthrow a structure.
The new rules seem to subvert the old ones.
The government's new policy was accused of subverting the independence of the local judiciary.
By introducing subtle biases into the algorithm, the researchers demonstrated how easily a system designed for fairness could be subverted by those with technical expertise.
From Middle English subverten, from Old French subvertir, from Latin subvertō (“to overthrow”, literally “to underturn, turn from beneath”).
Back-formation from subvertising, by analogy with advert.