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Definition of sabotage verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sabotage

verb
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they sabotage
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/
he / she / it sabotages
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒɪz/
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒɪz/
past simple sabotaged
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒd/
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒd/
past participle sabotaged
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒd/
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒd/
-ing form sabotaging
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒɪŋ/
 
/ˈsæbətɑːʒɪŋ/
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  1. sabotage something to damage or destroy something deliberately to prevent an enemy from using it or to protest about something
    • The main electricity supply had been sabotaged by the rebels.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • deliberately
    verb + sabotage
    • attempt to
    • try to
    See full entry
  2. sabotage something to prevent something from being successful or being achieved, especially deliberately
    • Protesters failed to sabotage the peace talks.
    • The rise in interest rates sabotaged any chance of the firm's recovery.
    • They had tried to sabotage our plans.
    • His speech was calculated to sabotage our efforts to reach a solution to the crisis.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • deliberately
    verb + sabotage
    • attempt to
    • try to
    See full entry
  3. Word Originearly 20th cent.: from French, from saboter ‘kick with sabots (a simple shoe), wilfully destroy’.
See sabotage in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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