sabotage
SAB-uh-tahzhverbMeaning to damage or ruin on purpose
Memory hook SAB-o-TAGE: a sneaky, secret wreck. Before the wagon race, Rex creeps over and loosens a wheel on his rival’s wagon. Wrecking something on purpose is to sabotage it.
Someone sabotaged the science-fair volcano by swapping the baking soda for flour.
In context The rival team tried to sabotage the race by moving the course markers, but the runners noticed the trick and followed their maps instead.
Similar undermine, wreck, spoil, disrupt
Opposite support, protect, help
From French saboter, “to botch, to bungle,” from sabot, a wooden shoe.