"Some peripheral charges kept the prosecution and the jury from focusing on key aspects and somewhat undercut its case," Ms. Levenson said.

McCartney, who had told Jackson about the importance of owning publishing, admitted he felt somewhat undercut by the acquisition although he did not enter bidding when it came up for sale in 1984.

(The notion that they see nobility in public service is somewhat undercut by their willingness to trash government workers.)

Will presumed it was intended to indicate their lack of fear, but their bravado was somewhat undercut by their immediate and rapid disappearance.

This commercial's legitimate point, that Mr. Lazio has generally been attentive to House matters outside of this Senate race, is somewhat undercut by the distorted strikes against Mrs. Clinton.

This thesis is somewhat undercut by the themes of the first two parts of the series, which are both on tonight as the first hour of Channel 13's "Jazz Tonight."

Though grandiose with destiny (and with sheer heft as well), Jackson was a renegade, professing a contempt for "the vapid, jejune trappings of American middle-classness" somewhat undercut by his alligator boots.

They are also costly and somewhat undercut by his Texas record.

Unfortunately, Mr. Krämer somewhat undercuts the magic, heaping distraction on distraction, one involving the stage itself.

He somewhat undercut himself by identifying them as members of a group, but never mind.