down under

American

Or Down Under

noun

Australia or New Zealand.

adverb

in, to, or into Australia or New Zealand.

down under British

noun

Australia or New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

in or to Australia or New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of down under

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

Then just after half-time, Penso pointed to the spot for a penalty after Kai Havertz went down under a challenge from Joel Ordonez.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

The discovery is exciting because it appears to capture an asteroid actively breaking down under intense solar heat.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

In recent years, however, the bubble has burst, with Gawker being forced to shut down under the weight of lawsuits, Vice Media filing for bankruptcy and Vox Media exploring selling itself off in parts.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

He will certainly have seen plenty of the opposition in his recent and current roles down under.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

I was already sitting down under Henry VIII, getting to work on a drawing I’d started the day before.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023