undo

S2 W2

BrE /ʌndəʊ/ AmE /ʌnˈdoʊ/

verb en → es

past undid pp undone ing undoing

1 UNFASTEN/RELEASE [transitive] A2

to unfasten or release something that is fastened, tied, etc.

desatar, deshacer, soltar

  • undo sb/sth

Collocations undo a knot · undo a tie

  • Can you undo my shoelaces, please?

    ¿Puedes desatar mis cordones, por favor?

2 REVERSE ACTION [transitive] B1

to reverse or cancel the effect of an action

anular, revocar, deshacer

  • undo sb/sth

Collocations undo a mistake · undo damage

  • She tried to undo the harm she had caused.

    Ella intentó deshacer el daño que había causado.

Phrasal verbs

undo something up UNFASTEN B1

desatar, soltar

  • He undid his tie and loosened his collar.

    Se desató la corbata y aflojó el cuello.

undo something out UNFASTEN B1

desatar, soltar

  • She undid the buttons on her coat.

    Ella desabrochó los botones de su abrigo.

Idioms

undo sb/sth's work B2

anular el trabajo de alguien

  • The new manager undid all the progress we had made.

    El nuevo gerente anuló todo el progreso que habíamos logrado.