sabotage

UK: /ˈsæbətɑːʒ/ US: /ˈsæbəˌtɑʒ/ ,(sab′ə täzh′, sab′ə täzh′)

Inflections of 'sabotage' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

sabotages

v 3rd person singular

sabotaging

v pres p

sabotaged

v past

sabotaged

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sab•o•tage /ˈsæbəˌtɑʒ/   n., v., -taged, -tag•ing. 
n. [uncountable]

1. deliberate damage of equipment, etc., as by employees during a dispute with their company.
2. destruction of property, as to weaken a government or military effort:
   acts of military sabotage.
3. any act of spoiling or undermining a plan or effort:
   a case of romantic sabotage.

v. [~ + object]

4. to injure or attack by sabotage:
   to sabotage the communications facilities.
5. to spoil or undermine;
   ruin:
   She sabotaged every effort he made to stay on his diet.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sab•o•tage  (sab′ə täzh′, sab′ə täzh′), n., v., -taged, -tag•ing. 
n. 

1. any underhand interference with production, work, etc., in a plant, factory, etc., as by enemy agents during wartime or by employees during a trade dispute.
2. any undermining of a cause.

v.t. 

3. to injure or attack by sabotage.

• French, equivalent. to sabot(er) to botch, origin, originally, to strike, shake up, harry, derivative of sabot sabot + -age -age
• 1865–70

Synonyms

• 3. disable, vandalize, cripple.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sabotage / ˈsæbəˌtɑːʒ/ noun

1. the deliberate destruction, disruption, or damage of equipment, a public service, etc, as by enemy agents, dissatisfied employees, etc
2. any similar action or behaviour

verb

1. (transitive) to destroy, damage, or disrupt, esp by secret means

Etymology: 20th Century: from French, from saboter to spoil through clumsiness (literally: to clatter in sabots)