scuttling

Verb (1)

scuttle (third-person singular simple present scuttles, present participle scuttling, simple past and past participle scuttled)

1. (transitive) To cut a hole or holes through the bottom, deck, or sides of (as of a ship), for any purpose.
2. (transitive) To deliberately sink one's ship or boat by any means, usually by order of the vessel's commander or owner.
   • The Vichy French fleet in Toulon in 1942 scuttled itself as a final "fuck you" to the invading Germans.
3. (broadly, transitive) To deliberately wreck one's vehicle (of any sort).
   • The third and equally important fact is that at the time of gear retraction more than ample runway remained to brake to a successful stop and even had there been a fire in the left engine no necessity existed for scuttling the aircraft.1958 November 19, Civil Aeronautics Board, “Analysis”, in Aircraft Accident Report: American Airlines, Inc., Convair 240, N 94213, New Haven, Connecticut, March 1, 1958, retrieved 25 Nov 2022, page 4
4. (broadly, transitive) To undermine or thwart oneself or one's position or property, especially deliberately.
   • The candidate had scuttled his chances with his unhinged outburst.

   Synonyms:

   destroy, wreck

Verb (2)

scuttle (third-person singular simple present scuttles, present participle scuttling, simple past and past participle scuttled)

1. (intransitive) To move hastily, to scurry.
   • With the first dawn of day, old Janet was scuttling about the house to wake the baron.1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London...

See all 13 meanings of scuttle