To cut away material from beneath something, or to weaken someone's position by offering something at a lower price or by undermining their argument.
Compound of 'under' + 'cut', first used in the 1600s for literal cutting beneath surfaces, then extended metaphorically to mean undermining someone's position or advantages.
In hairstyling, an 'undercut' has become fashionable, but the term reveals something about power—it literally weakens the structure by removing support from underneath, which is exactly what it means when you 'undercut' a competitor's prices.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.