Sabotage

Simple meaning

Sabotage means to deliberately do something to ruin, damage, or undermine a plan, a process, or another person's chances — on purpose.

Detailed meaning

Sabotage can be used as a verb and a noun.

As a verb: "He sabotaged the project by leaking confidential information to the competitor." As a noun: "The campaign failed — it looked like deliberate sabotage from within the team."

The key word in both uses is deliberately. Sabotage is not an accident. It is an intentional act of disruption or destruction — often done secretly, from inside.

It can be:

• Professional — undermining a colleague, a project, or a process
• Personal — self-sabotage: unconsciously ruining your own chances
• Historical or political — deliberate damage to systems, infrastructure, or organisations

Self-sabotage is one of the most common modern uses — when a person's own fears or habits get in the way of their success.

Where to use it

It works well in:

• Workplace conflict — "His behaviour was sabotaging the whole team's morale."
• Self-awareness — "I realised I was sabotaging my own sleep by scrolling until 1 a.m."
• News and politics — "Opposition groups accused the government of sabotaging the peace process."

Where not to use it

Sabotage implies deliberate intent. Don't use it when something went wrong by accident or through incompetence — use undermined, disrupted, or damaged instead.

5 example sentences

1. The whistleblower claimed that senior management had sabotaged the audit by hiding key documents.
2. She recognised the pattern: every time she got close to finishing, she would sabotage herself with distractions.
3. Don't let anxiety sabotage your preparation — channel it into focus instead.
4. The product launch was sabotaged by a last-minute competitor announcement that stole all the attention.
5. Internal politics can quietly sabotage even the best-designed strategies.

Common mistakes

Similar & opposite words

Similar (synonyms)

Opposite (antonyms)

Shade of difference: Undermine is close — but more gradual, often through eroding confidence or support over time. Sabotage is more deliberate and targeted. Derail suggests throwing something off track, which can be accidental. Subvert is formal — often used for systems or authority.

Memory trick

Summary

Sabotage means to deliberately damage, disrupt, or undermine something — a plan, a process, a relationship, or your own progress. Deliberate intent is what separates sabotage from an ordinary mistake. One of its most important modern uses is self-sabotage — when your own habits and fears get in the way of your success.