Sabotage
SA-buh-tahzh
/ˈsæbətɑːʒ/
Deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage; also, the act of doing so.
Implies malicious intent to undermine or disrupt, often covertly, rather than direct confrontation.
The story behind the word. The word 'sabotage' comes from French, originally referring to workers who would throw their sabots (wooden shoes) into machinery to disrupt factory operations during labor disputes. This vivid image of intentional disruption for a cause gave us the word we use today for any deliberate act of obstruction or destruction.
Word relationships
- Vandalism: Vandalism is destructive but often lacks the strategic or political motive of sabotage.
- Subversion: Subversion aims to undermine authority or systems from within, often without physical destruction.
- Disrupt: More general; sabotage is a specific, often destructive, way to disrupt.
- Aid: To help or support, the opposite of hindering or destroying.
- Facilitate: To make easier, rather than to obstruct.
Commonly confused with
- Accidental damage: Sabotage is intentional and malicious, whereas accidental damage is unintentional.
Word family
- saboteur (noun): A person who commits sabotage.
Collocations
- commit sabotage
- industrial sabotage
- act of sabotage
- sabotage efforts
Example sentences
- "Workers, frustrated by stalled negotiations, threatened to sabotage production lines if their demands were not met." Reporting on industrial action.
- "During the war, resistance fighters would often sabotage railway lines to impede enemy troop movements and supply chains." A historical account of wartime tactics.
Memory hook
Imagine a worker throwing a 'SABOT' (shoe) into a machine to 'AGE' (damage) it. Shoe-throwing disruption
When not to use
Avoid using for accidental damage or simple incompetence; it specifically implies intentional, often subversive, disruption.
Fun facts
- The term gained prominence during the early 20th century, particularly in discussions of labor movements and industrial unrest.
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