# undercut

/ˈəndɝˌkət/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/undercut
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

to sell something at a lower price than your competitors. You can also use it to describe making someone's position or argument weaker.

For teachers: to offer goods or services at a lower price than a competitor; by extension, to weaken or destabilise a person, position, or argument. Transitive — requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The new supermarket tries to undercut the local shops.
- By lowering their subscription fees, the startup managed to undercut the established market leaders and gain thousands of users.
- The witness's sudden admission of a prior friendship with the defendant served to undercut the prosecution's entire theory of a random, unprovoked attack.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They undercutted the price." but "They undercut the price." — The past tense and past participle of 'undercut' is 'undercut', not 'undercutted'.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.