go under

British  

verb

1. (also preposition) to sink below (a surface)

2. to founder or drown

3. to be conquered or overwhelmed

   the firm went under in the economic crisis

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go under Idioms  

1. Suffer defeat or destruction; fail. For example, We feared the business would go under after the founder died . [Mid-1800s]

2. Lose consciousness. For example, Ether was the first anesthetic to make patients go under quickly and completely . This usage dates from the 1930s.

3. Submerge, sink, as in This leaky boat is about to go under .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

go under

All sorts of storylines - none of them good - were under consideration until Kane simply refused to allow England to go under.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Pending home sales, a data point that measures homes that go under contract well before the sale closes, perked up in April, rising 3.2% from the year prior, according to the National Association of Realtors.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

And just over one-quarter of homes that go under contract are selling above asking price, the lowest share for this time of year in at least five years, Redfin says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 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

I want to go under the sea and watch the last fishes.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• bankrupt
• drown