go under
Britishverb
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(also preposition) to sink below (a surface)
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to founder or drown
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to be conquered or overwhelmed
the firm went under in the economic crisis
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Suffer defeat or destruction; fail. For example, We feared the business would go under after the founder died . [Mid-1800s]
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Lose consciousness. For example, Ether was the first anesthetic to make patients go under quickly and completely . This usage dates from the 1930s.
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Submerge, sink, as in This leaky boat is about to go under .
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.
I don’t want any brokerage firm to go under.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Human bones, including a skull, were due to go under the hammer on Friday, but Great Western Auctions withdrew the item for sale after being contacted by BBC Scotland News.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
Dixon, who represented parts of west and south central L.A., also pushed for the subway to go under Pico Boulevard instead of Wilshire.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Homes that go under contract don’t close immediately—meaning the data reflects market conditions a month or so prior.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
Under the “hunting and gathering” heading, they would go under “gathering”.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
