go under

verb

went under; gone under; going under; goes under

intransitive verb

1

: sink entry 1 sense 1a

The ship went under in the storm.

2

: to be overwhelmed, destroyed, or defeated : fail

The company went under during the recession.

Examples of go under in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The collection will go under the gavel in New York on December 7, where it is expected to hammer down for roughly $9 million. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026

The first refinery to be built in the United States in decades will go under construction next year. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

That meant backup Dylan Raiola got things going under center. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Once relegated to buyers, fashion editors and (to a lesser extent) VICs, who have an immediate need to see a new collection in close proximity — to decide what to stock, shoot, or buy — the re-see has traditionally gone under the radar. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for go under

• asunder
• blunder
• bunder
• funder
• plunder
• sunder
• thunder