undercut - Definition & Meaning

to undercut

Third Person

undercuts

Present Participle

undercutting

Past Tense

undercut

Past Participle

undercut

to demand a lower price than one's rivals

transitive

In a competitive market, businesses may undercut their rivals to attract price-sensitive customers.
Online retailers often engage in price wars, trying to undercut each other to gain a larger share of the market.
The company is currently undercutting prices to increase sales in a tough market.
The freelancer has recently undercut competitors to secure a long-term project.
While the market was experiencing fluctuations, airlines were actively undercutting fares to attract passengers.

Synonyms:

to hit a ball with a downward, glancing motion, causing it to spin backward or gain elevation

transitive

He undercut the tennis ball, sending it spinning over the net with incredible precision.
By carefully undercutting the ball, he was able to make a tricky shot that bounced just inside the corner.
She undercut the ping-pong ball, causing it to rise quickly before dropping just beyond her opponent’s reach.
He undercut the shuttlecock, sending it floating gracefully over the net.
By undercutting the ball, she managed to make an impressive lob shot that cleared her opponent’s reach.

to remove or wear away the lower or underlying part of something

transitive

The river undercut the bank, causing it to erode and collapse over time.
The constant waves undercut the cliffside, leading to a gradual loss of land.
Erosion from the wind had undercut the base of the sand dune, making it unstable.
The miners undercut the lower levels of the mountain to extract the ore.
The foundation was undercut by water leakage, leading to structural damage.

to remove material around a design in order to create a raised, carved pattern

transitive

The artist undercut the stone to reveal a beautiful design in relief.
Using a chisel, the craftsman undercut the surface of the marble to highlight the figures in relief.
She carefully undercut the wood, leaving an intricate floral pattern raised above the surface.
He undercut the edges of the stone, allowing the carving to stand out in three-dimensional relief.
The sculptor undercut the clay to emphasize the details of the figure in the final relief.

to make a diagonal or slanted cut into a tree, below the main cut, on the side where the tree is intended to fall

transitive

The lumberjack undercut the tree to ensure it would fall in the right direction.
Before making the final cut, he carefully undercut the trunk to guide the tree’s fall.
She undercut the tree at an angle, ensuring it would topple toward the clearing.
The axeman skillfully undercut the tree before making the horizontal cut to bring it down safely.
As part of the felling process, he undercut the tree, ensuring it fell away from the power lines.