to strike at the foundations
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To attempt to undermine the whole thing, to overthrow it utterly.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to strike at the foundations” mean?
To attempt to undermine the whole thing, to overthrow it utterly.
Is “to strike at the foundations” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.