go under

verb

went under; gone under; going under; goes under

intransitive verb

: to be overwhelmed, destroyed, or defeated : fail

Examples of go under in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The roughly two-acre spread in the jungles of Nosara, in the Guanacaste Province along the Central American country’s western border with the Pacific Ocean, is set to go under the hammer in April with Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions and Nathaniel Jackson of Costa Rica Sotheby’s International Realty. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 Shortly after the clock went under two minutes in the first half, a steal by Texas A&M’s Jace Carter led to a Henry Coleman layup on the other end, extending the Aggies’ lead to 36-23. Jaden Lewis, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2024 The caller told authorities the man went under the water and hadn’t resurfaced, deputies said. Paloma Chavez, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2024 The Lakers deployed their big men – Davis and Jaxson Hayes – in drop coverage and mostly had their perimeter defenders go under pick-and-rolls initiated by Fox and Monk. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2024 Pride flags have been banned, and the school library's shelves are largely empty as books go under review en masse over concerns about their coverage of topics such as LGBTQ+ issues. USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 In situations where lifeguards are off duty or cannot quickly access the swimmer, the drones could save precious moments before a swimmer goes under, Mr. Epstein, the Jones Beach supervisor, said. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Multiple swimmers were jumping into the water as Alaina went under at 10:18 a.m., attorneys allege, citing video from the pool. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024 According to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, 20% of new businesses go under in the first two years, 45% fail during the first five years, and 65% fail within the first ten years of business. Meggen Harris, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'go under.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of go under was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near go under

Cite this Entry

“Go under.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20under. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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