sabotage

Universal Words noun, verb noun [U] the act of doing deliberate damage to equipment, transport, machines, etc. to prevent an enemy from using them or to protest about sth: an act of economic / military / industrial sabotage * Police investigating the train derailment have not ruled out sabotage. verb [VN] 1 to damage, destroy or spoil sth deliberately to prevent an enemy from using it or to protest about sth: The main electricity supply had been sabotaged by the rebels. * Protesters failed to sabotage the peace talks. 2 to make sth no longer possible or successful: The rise in interest rates sabotaged any chance of the firm's recovery.