After World War I, though, the basic territorial pattern of the Balkans was set. Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania were independent countries and, with some exceptions, occupied their current borders. Today's countries of Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia were then part of Yugoslavia--a new country formed in 1918.
verb (used with object), undermined, undermining. 1. to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect. 2. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth. 3. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
2. to weaken or destroy the impact or effectiveness of; undermine. 3. to offer goods or services at a lower price or rate than (a competitor). 4. to cut away material from so as to leave a portion overhanging, as in carving or sculpture. 5. to hit (a ball) underhand so as to cause backspin; slice. 6. to cut a notch in (a tree) in order to control the direction in which the tree is to fall.