verb
subvert
sub-VURT/səbˈvɜːrt/
To weaken or overturn an established system or authority from within.
The symbolic scene shows a figure trying to subvert the institution by weakening its support.
Etymology
Under and turn give the image of turning something upside down. The verb carried this idea of overturning into the disturbance or overthrow of an established order.
In context
the president has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election
More examples
- They used false reports to subvert confidence in the investigation.
- The novel subverts familiar expectations about heroes.
- The group tried to subvert the institution from within.
Forms
subvert · subverts · subverted · subverting
subversion noun — undermining an established system
Similar words
- undermine
- Undermine gradually weakens; subvert often seeks to overturn a system or reverse its purpose.
- sabotage
- Sabotage damages an operation; subvert can work through ideas, institutions, or internal manipulation.