undermining expectations

USAGE SUMMARY

'undermining expectations' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to someone or something that is not meeting someone's expectations or is not meeting their goal. For example: The sluggish economy has been undermining expectations of growth.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

She has refused to admit that caring about fashion is irreconcilable with caring about, say, nuclear policy, and in doing so she is setting a precedent that allows women to use clothes to express a facet of their persona that may otherwise be denied, without it undermining expectations.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"They undermine expectations that have built up over years and years of use".

The New York Times

"But it has helped to undermine expectations about the future".

BBC

We suggest that a relatively strong belief in self-interest serves to fill in the blanks when information is incomplete, which undermines expectations of other's cooperation as well as one's own cooperative behavior.

Acta Psychologica

The attempts to upend the contract and rewrite the law create uncertainty for private enterprises that have operated inside and next door to national parks for generations -- and undermine expectations of taxpayers who foot the bill for creating and now protecting this national seashore.

Huffington Post

As Mr. James put it, the measure "handicaps mayors and developers" alike by undermining existing expectations about just compensation and limiting their ability to determine what is for the greater good.

The New York Times

In regards to global monitoring, it is important to ensure that language is provided to retain an open door for south-south partners without undermining the expectations and quality of the Busan spirit.

The Guardian

But despite these and other dramatic scenes, Mr. Bell seems less interested in storytelling than in undermining our expectations for a narrative: he strips away names, locations and traditional dialogue until all that remains is an archetypal story of a man and a woman and how they are torn asunder and how they finally return to each other.

The New York Times - Books

It's important to allow for future innovation - which might offer great personal and societal benefits -- without undermining reasonable expectations of privacy.

Huffington Post

Such biases create inequality by causing people to expect greater competence from men than from women, and thus to expect greater rewards to go to men rather to women who are otherwise their equals, biases also lead men, on average, to pay less attention to information that undermines expectations based on gender (Bombuwela and De Alwis 2013; Schwanke 2013; Ghaus 2013).

Asian Journal of German and European Studies

Yet the manner in which Dortmund succumbed to the pressure, while undermining any expectation of a side that had so readily defused the German Bundesliga, suggested a problem less obvious than a simple matter of quality.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "undermining expectations" to convey the idea of something gradually weakening or eroding established beliefs or anticipations rather than a sudden, complete destruction of them.

Common error

Avoid using "undermining expectations" when the situation involves a direct contradiction or an outright failure of predictions. Instead, reserve it for scenarios where the erosion is gradual and subtle.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "undermining expectations" functions as a verb phrase acting upon a noun, indicating an action that diminishes or weakens anticipated outcomes. Ludwig AI confirms this is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "undermining expectations" is a grammatically sound expression used to describe the gradual erosion or weakening of established beliefs or anticipations. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and usable in written English. While its frequency is relatively rare, it appears in a variety of contexts, including news, science, and business. When using this phrase, it's important to convey a subtle diminishing of expectations rather than a complete failure. Semantically related alternatives include "subverting anticipations" and "eroding hopes", each offering nuances in conveying the impact on original expectations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

subverting anticipations

Focuses on the active act of overturning or disrupting expectations, similar to undermining but more forceful.

eroding hopes

Emphasizes the gradual destruction of positive expectations, highlighting the disappointment that follows.

dashing prospects

Implies a sudden and complete failure of expectations, indicating a more dramatic disappointment.

deflating aspirations

Suggests a reduction in the intensity of expectations, leaving them weaker and less significant.

invalidating assumptions

Focuses on proving expectations to be incorrect or unfounded, thereby undermining their validity.

disrupting predictions

Highlights the disturbance or interruption of what was expected to happen, deviating from the forecast.

weakening confidence

Emphasizes the loss of trust or certainty that results from expectations not being met.

thwarting forecasts

Implies actively preventing expectations from being realized, suggesting a deliberate obstruction.

belieing predictions

Suggests that the reality contradicts what was expected, making the predictions seem false or misleading.

countering beliefs

Highlights actions or events that go against established expectations, challenging the underlying beliefs.

FAQs

How can I use "undermining expectations" in a sentence?

You can use "undermining expectations" to describe a situation where something is gradually weakening or eroding established beliefs or anticipations. For instance: "The company's poor performance is "undermining expectations" for future growth".

What's a good alternative to "undermining expectations"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "subverting anticipations", "eroding hopes", or "dashing prospects". These options convey varying degrees of intensity and impact on the original expectations.

Is it correct to say "undermining of expectations"?

While grammatically correct, "undermining of expectations" is less common and often less impactful than ""undermining expectations"". The latter has a more direct and active feel.

What is the difference between "undermining expectations" and "failing to meet expectations"?

"Undermining expectations" suggests a gradual erosion of confidence or belief, while "failing to meet expectations" indicates a more direct and immediate shortfall. One is a process, the other is an outcome.