sabotare

to sabotage

verb sah-boh-TAH-reh Rare

Origin: From French saboter, originally 'to clatter in wooden shoes (sabots)', later 'to wreck machinery deliberately'.

Usage Note

Sabotare is a regular -are verb borrowed from French in the industrial era. It can be used both literally (sabotaging machinery or infrastructure) and figuratively (sabotaging someone's plans or efforts). The noun sabotaggio and the agent sabotatore follow the same root.

Examples

"Qualcuno ha sabotato i freni della macchina."

Natural Translation

Someone sabotaged the car's brakes.

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