undergo
Americanverb (used with object)
-
undergoes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underwent,
past
-
undergone,
past participle
-
undergoing
present participle
verb
Usage
What is another way to say undergo? To undergo something is to be subjected to or to endure that thing. How does undergo differ from experience? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
undergosimple
-
undergoessimple
-
have undergoneperfect
-
has undergoneperfect
-
am undergoingprogressive
-
are undergoingprogressive
-
is undergoingprogressive
-
have been undergoingperfect progressive
-
has been undergoingperfect progressive
Past
-
underwentsimple
-
had undergoneperfect
-
was undergoingprogressive
-
were undergoingprogressive
-
had been undergoingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undergo
First recorded before 1000; Middle English undergon, Old English undergān. See under-, go 1
Explanation
Undergo means "endure until something is complete." You might undergo testing to check your hearing or undergo special training if you want to volunteer at a homeless shelter. The verb undergo means "experience" or "undertake." It is often used to describe medical procedures, such as, an injured quarterback who will undergo shoulder surgery. The word implies that it is something that has to happen so that a positive change occurs, like healing in the case of the quarterback or greater communication skills for a hot-tempered person who undergoes anger management training.
Vocabulary lists containing undergo
Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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The Red Umbrella
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“On Civil Disobedience” by Mohandas K. Gandhi
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Inventory draws are projected to accelerate in October as seasonal demand rises and refineries undergo routine maintenance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Inside a reactor, uranium atoms undergo nuclear fission, a process in which their nuclei split apart and release energy along with additional particles called neutrons.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Four officers and two protesters remained hospitalised, with a demonstrator and two officers expected to undergo surgery.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
As part of the latest settlement, Bank of America agreed to work with a third party to identify past suspicious activity and undergo an independent review of its programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
He probably has an ulcer and will have to undergo surgery.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Under these conditions, the bark undergoes a process called dry distillation, in which heat breaks down the material and releases substances that can be collected as tar.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Every motion submitted to conference undergoes debate and no single interest group drives policy.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
If a project could cause significant environmental harm that can’t easily be avoided, it undergoes a more detailed environmental review that examines its potential impacts and alternatives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The stakes are particularly high this time around as the company undergoes an artificial-intelligence transition with the upcoming rollout of its Apple Intelligence and agentic Siri.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The skeletal system to which all those muscles are attached also undergoes tremendous strains and stresses.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
It is unclear whether Joel underwent the procedure, although the “Uptown Girl” singer initially postponed his concerts in March 2025 after undergoing unspecified surgery and physical therapy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The property, which is listed with Thomas Atamian of Coldwell Banker Realty, underwent a remodel in 2004 by architect Aleks Istanbullu.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Zheng underwent elbow surgery last year and had struggled with form and fitness over the past 12 months, before a recent upturn led to her triumph in Beijing.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
When we reached St. Michael’s, we underwent a sort of examination.
From "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass
Blood tests and an X-ray early on Wednesday showed his recovery was "proceeding normally", the doctors said, and he has also undergone respiratory physiotherapy.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Character.ai has undergone some leadership changes as it grappled with safety concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The analysis focused on participants who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, allowing researchers to measure changes in fat deep inside the abdomen.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Netanyahu told the media last week that the suspect had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination".
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Some friends who had undergone rehabilitation with me had already rejoined the army.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
It is unclear whether Joel underwent the procedure, although the “Uptown Girl” singer initially postponed his concerts in March 2025 after undergoing unspecified surgery and physical therapy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Chelsea captain Reece James is set to miss three months of action after undergoing knee surgery.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The 71-year-old leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics had a part of his lung removed on Tuesday and is undergoing further tests to determine if he is cancer-free or needs further treatment.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Stalwarts of Big Law including Fisher Phillips, Clifford Chance and Fox Rothschild have been steadily undergoing on-trend rebrands in the past few years, Katie Deighton reports for the WSJ Leadership Institute.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Many of those who fled were reportedly undergoing guerilla training in neighbouring black states under the aegis of Umkhonto We Sizwe.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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