Undo is a verb meaning “to reverse the results of an action” or to take apart:
I was unable to undo the knots on the package, so I used scissors.
The results of this exam cannot be undone; you have failed!
Undue is an adjective meaning unnecessary or inappropriate:
You will get in trouble if you continue to show up to work with undue tardiness.
Some police are getting in trouble for using undue force.
Undo is also part of an interesting idiom. To undo a person means to ruin their plans. Or if a person falls apart (emotionally), we can say they have come undone:
In good stories, the villain is often undone by their own evil.
After her mother died, she completely came undone.
You might also hear people say, “you cannot undo what has been done.” In other words, most of the time we cannot undo our past choices.
More Examples of “Undo” in a Sentence
- The events this week will undo years of work to regenerate the estate and restore the confidence of residents in their safety.
- I decided that Pact would be a funded business with faster growth and bigger ambition, but that isn’t something you can then undo so you have to be ready for it.
- Someone should act as the wise man and undo this knot.
- Hopefully with a better understanding, we can gradually start to undo the damage.
- Such trends threaten to undo years of progress by women in the workplace.
More Examples of “Undue” in a Sentence
- Companies have to delete the data without undue delay, or face a penalty.
- They strived to offer advice for action without creating undue alarm, Mueller said.
- Both aim to ensure independence and guard against undue influence by other governments.
- This, says the report, is “so that no single individual has undue influence over a number of schools”.
- Spending time together is important, but it shouldn’t feel important, otherwise it creates undue pressure to enjoy yourselves.