[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sabotage.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / sabotage

[← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/)

# sabotage

«sabotage» in Mova's school dictionary: **Damaging or destroying something on purpose, especially…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (sabotage; uncountable); verb (sabotage, sabotages, sabotaged, sabotaging)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Damaging or destroying something on purpose, especially machines, roads or plans, to stop an enemy or rival. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#m1)

2) (verb) To damage something on purpose. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#m2)

3) To secretly spoil someone's plan or chance. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In history lessons, resistance fighters in World War II sabotaged railways and factories. In everyday life a person can «sabotage» a game or a group project by spoiling it on purpose. In stories it is a villain's trick. Phrases: «act of sabotage», «sabotage someone's plans», «self-sabotage».

### examples

- The spies planned sabotage on the bridge. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#x1)
- Someone sabotaged our sandcastle while we were swimming. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#x2)
- Don't sabotage the group project by not doing your part. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#x3)
- The train crash was caused by sabotage, not an accident. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#x4)
- She thought her rival had sabotaged her bike. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#x5)
- Staying up late before a test is self-sabotage. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/#x6)

### note

Pronounced «SAB-uh-tahzh». From French. Regular verb: sabotaged. Myth: it is often said the word comes from workers throwing wooden shoes (sabots) into machines; that story is probably made up. Damaging property on purpose is a crime.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «sabotage» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sabotage/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.