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.
The way Americans pay for college is about to undergo its biggest transformation in decades.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
The German car giant said in a statement that its entire group, including brands and subsidiaries, needs to undergo deep change.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
The county exempted the proposal from CEQA, which requires projects to undergo an extensive state environmental review before breaking ground.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026
She told AFP he needed to be home 20 days before his next check-up to undergo tests, "otherwise he can't receive treatment."
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
Then I had to undergo the nastiest sort of drills to make sure I had my story straight.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
