Usage Note
sabotieren covers both the criminal act of deliberately damaging infrastructure or equipment and the figurative use of undermining a plan; legally Sabotage of critical infrastructure is a serious offence (§316b StGB).
Examples
"Unbekannte hatten die Signalanlage sabotiert."
Natural Translation
Unknown persons had sabotaged the signal system.
Literal Translation
Unknown had the signal-system sabotaged.

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