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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Another surprise is in store when the shoe goes under light, as the Swoosh’s trim reflects a rainbow gradient. Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 Nov. 2025 As a favorite, the Rams have gone under the point total in five of eight games this season. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025 The three works from the famed Austrian painter, all of which are hitting the block for the first time, will go under the hammer at a Sotheby’s sale this month. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Nov. 2025 As the city was planning a drought pipeline in 2015, officials estimated a 5% chance that the Colorado River would go under official shortages in Arizona, and yet that exact scenario came true less than a decade later. Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for go under

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of go under was in 1820

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Go under.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20under. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

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