undercut
un·der·cut • v. / ˌəndərˈkət/ (-cut·ting; past and past part. -cut) [tr.] 1. offer goods or services at a lower price than (a competitor): these industries have been undercut by more efficient foreign producers. 2. cut or wear away the part below or under (something, esp. a cliff). ∎ fig. weaken; undermine: the chairman denied his authority was being undercut. ∎ cut away material to leave (a carved design) in relief. 3. (in sports such as tennis or golf) strike (a ball) with a chopping motion so as to give it backspin.• n. / ˈəndərˌkət/ a space formed by the removal or absence of material from the lower part of something, such as a cliff, a coal seam, or part of a carving in relief. ∎ a notch cut in a tree trunk to guide its fall when felled.