under

adverb un·der \ ˈən-dər \

|Updated on: 4 Jul 2018

Examples: under in a Sentence

Definition of under

1 : in or into a position below or beneath something

2 : below or short of some quantity, level, or limit

$10 or under

—often used in combination

understaffed

3 : in or into a condition of subjection, subordination, or unconsciousness

put the patient under for surgery

4 : down to defeat, ruin, or death

weaker competitors will be forced under

5 : so as to be covered

buried under by the avalanche

See under defined for English-language learners

See under defined for kids

Examples of under in a Sentence

Pull the bed sheets tight then fold the ends under.
He turned under his shirt's collar.
The whale surfaced briefly then dove under again.
The bridge was too low for the ship to sail under.
A score of 60 is needed to pass; anything under is failing.
They had to put me under for surgery.

Recent Examples of under from the Web

The fair is included with the $35 price of admission to the FanFest (tickets are $5 less for children 12 and under).

— katherine fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "All-Star FanFest in Washington to include complimentary appraisal for fans' memorabilia," 27 June 2018
Laurel Woods Elementary School is the location in North Laurel where parents can bring their children, 18 and under, between 12:30 and 2 p.m. for a healthy meal free of charge.

— christina hyder, Howard County Times, "School graduations foster community pride," 7 June 2018
Free for children 12 and under and $5 for people 13 and over in advance.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Coming up: An all-day jazz fest, the Three Barons Renaissance Fair and Ellis Paul," 31 May 2018
Tickets are $21 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10.50 for children 12 and under and $16 for groups of 15 or more.

— hannah kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Shop fresh foods and artisan works in Wauwatosa farmer's market," 28 May 2018
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 17 and under, as well as seniors.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Parma Symphony Orchestra schedules May 6 performance at Valley Forge High School," 30 Apr. 2018
Tickets are $30 for adults ($25 for YWCA members) and $15 for children ages 12 and under.

— michelle mullins, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin News Digest," 15 June 2018
Children 12 and under can get in free with an adult.

— bob warren, NOLA.com, "Not invited, Pearl River chief doesn't plan to attend swamp festival," 1 June 2018
Green fees run just $30 for adults, $10 for ages 13 to 17 and free for 12 and under.

— john paul newport, WSJ, "The New Golf Vacation: Quicker, Easier and More Fun," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'under.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of under

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English; akin to Old High German untar under, Latin inferus situated beneath, lower, infra below, Sanskrit adha

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

under Synonyms

under

preposition

Definition of under

1 : below or beneath so as to be overhung, surmounted, covered, protected, or concealed by

under sunny skies

a soft heart under a stern exterior

under cover of darkness

2 a : subject to the authority, control, guidance, or instruction of

served under the general

under the terms of the contract

a program that runs under any operating system

b : receiving or undergoing the action or effect of

under pressure

courage under fire

under the influence of alcohol

the image of a point under a mapping

under oath

3 a : within the group or designation of

under this heading

b : having as name or title

traveling under an alias

4 : less or lower than (as in size, amount, or rank); especially : falling short of a standard or required degree

under the legal age

under par

See under defined for English-language learners

Examples of under in a Sentence

They couldn't climb over the wall, so they dug a hole under it.
Draw a line under each word you don't know.
We sat under a tree and rested a while.
I'm wearing a sweater under my jacket.
The ball rolled under the car.
How long can you hold your breath under water?
The cafe is under new management.
The army captured three forts while under the general's command.
He has been under a lot of pressure at work lately.
You will be under anesthesia during the operation.

Recent Examples of under from the Web

The fund is under investigation in several countries over missing funds that U.S. investigators have estimated at $4.5 billion.

— yantoultra ngui, WSJ, "Malaysia’s Former Ruling Party Veers Right on Religion and Race," 1 July 2018
The cause of the crash is under investigation, Ryan said.

— adam sennott, BostonGlobe.com, "Man seriously injured in motorcycle crash on I-95 in Peabody," 1 July 2018
The agency’s chief historian, Bodo Hechelhammer, told the newspaper that Mrs. Burwitz worked as a secretary under an assumed name in the early 1960s.

— matt schudel, Washington Post, "Gudrun Burwitz, ever-loyal daughter of Nazi mastermind Heinrich Himmler, dies at 88," 30 June 2018
The crash, into a tractor-trailer in a rural intersection, remains under investigation.

— sam donnellon, Philly.com, "Paralyzed Humboldt player Ryan Straschnitzki's optimism inspires Flyers | Sam Donnellon," 30 June 2018
His campaign is under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for contacts with Russian figures and potential collusion with the Kremlin’s election activities.

— bloomberg, Time, "Mike Pence Says He Expects President Trump and Vladimir Putin to Discuss Election Meddling," 29 June 2018
As of Friday morning, the cause of the blaze was still under investigation.

— julia sclafani, sacbee, "Northern California wildfires, map: Pawnee Fire and others mostly contained, more evacuees returning home," 29 June 2018
Fox News confirmed in May that Avenatti was under investigation by the California State Bar over allegations related to his stewardship of the bankrupt Tully’s Coffee chain.

— dom calicchio, Fox News, "Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, also represents planned pot farm: report," 28 June 2018
The president’s 2016 campaign — and the president himself — is under investigation for its possible ties to Russian interests.

— chuck todd, NBC News, "Supreme Court showdown jolts the 2018 campaign," 28 June 2018

First Known Use of under

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

under Synonyms

Synonyms

below, beneath;

Antonyms

above, over;

Related Words

underneath;

under

adjective

Definition of under

1 a : lying or placed below, beneath, or on the ventral side —often used in combination

the ocean's undercurrents

the underside of a car

b : facing or protruding downward —often used in combination

the undersurface of a leaf

2 : lower in rank or authority : subordinate —often used in combination

the undersecretary of defense

3 : lower than usual, proper, or desired in amount, quality, or degree —often used in combination

undernourished children

Recent Examples of under from the Web

The focus of this administration and the Congress should be on addressing the factors that contribute to the under count of minorities rather than advocating for untested questions that undermine full participation in the Census.

— deborah barfield berry, USA TODAY, "Census urged to exclude undocumented immigrants in congressional seat count," 8 June 2018
The restrictions are part of a broader campaign against corruption and capital flight, in which big-ticket foreign purchases like soccer clubs have come under scrutiny as possible money-laundering ventures.

— New York Times, "China Won’t Play in This World Cup. It Still Hopes to Profit.," 30 May 2018
Ted Lieu of California and Don Beyer of Virginia, which noted that some of the matters may already be under review as part of other inspector general investigations into Pruitt's behavior while atop the agency.

— sophie tatum and rene marsh, CNN, "EPA inspector general details numerous reviews into Scott Pruitt's actions," 27 Apr. 2018
The age 2 and under hunt starts at 10:30 a.m.; age 3 to 5 hunt at 10:45; age 6 to 10 hunt at 11.

— amy ellis, courant.com, "Easter Egg Hunts And Bunny Breakfasts Galore In CT," 19 Mar. 2018
This incident was under investigation as part of a broader look into how the FBI and Justice Department handled themselves during the most recent presidential election.

— alex ward, Vox, "Andrew McCabe’s firing and Trump’s anti-Mueller tirade, explained," 19 Mar. 2018
Well in some elections, the difference between win and loss is much smaller than the under vote count.

— patricia dillon, Houston Chronicle, "Villager Q & A: Steve Leakey, president & co-founder of the Voter Awareness Council," 16 Mar. 2018
Maliek Collins switched to nose last season when Paea retired, although the Cowboys liked what Collins brought to the under tackle spot as a rookie in 2016.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Cowboys won’t use first-round pick on “pure nose tackle” | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Feb. 2018
The impassioned speech was delivered without the presence of the under pressure manager Arsene Wenger as the playing group sought to air their anger and frustration over the club's decline in private.

— SI.com, "Arsenal Star 'on the Brink of Tears' During Team Meeting Held Without Under-Fire Arsene Wenger," 3 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of under

13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

UNDER Defined for English Language Learners

under

adverb

Definition of under for English Language Learners

: in or into a position that is below or beneath something; especially : in a position that is below the surface of water
: in a forward direction that passes below something
: less than an expected or stated number or amount

under

preposition

Definition of under for English Language Learners

: in or to a lower place than (something) : below or beneath (something)
: guided or managed by (a person or group)
: controlled or affected by (something)

UNDER Defined for Kids

under

adverb un·der \ ˈən-dər \

Definition of under for Students

1 : in or into a position below or beneath something

The dog squeezed under the fence.

2 : below some quantity or level

ten dollars or under

under

preposition

Definition of under for Students

1 : lower than and topped or sheltered by

under a tree

2 : below the surface of

under the sea

3 : in or into such a position as to be covered or hidden by

I wore a sweater under my jacket.

4 : commanded or guided by

Many soldiers served under George Washington.

5 : controlled or managed by

The restaurant is under new management.

6 : affected or influenced by the action or effect of

The disease is under treatment.

7 : within the division or grouping of

That information is under this heading.

8 : less or lower than (as in size, amount, or rank)

The candy costs under a dollar.

The package weighs under two pounds.

under

adjective

Definition of under for Students

1 : lying or placed below or beneath

2 : lower in position or authority

Hint: The adjective under is often used in combination with other words.

underside

Medical Dictionary

under

adverb un·der \ ˈən-dər \

medical Definition of under

: in or into a condition of unconsciousness

put the patient under prior to surgery

under

preposition

medical Definition of under

: receiving or using the action or application of

an operation performed under local anesthesia

under

adjective

medical Definition of under

: being in an induced state of unconsciousness

given intravenously when the patient is under
—C. A. Birch

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under

Definition of under

Examples of under in a Sentence

Recent Examples of under from the Web

Origin and Etymology of under

under Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

under

Definition of under

Examples of under in a Sentence

Recent Examples of under from the Web

First Known Use of under

under Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

under

Definition of under

Recent Examples of under from the Web

First Known Use of under

UNDER Defined for English Language Learners

under

Definition of under for English Language Learners

under

Definition of under for English Language Learners

UNDER Defined for Kids

under

Definition of under for Students

under

Definition of under for Students

under

Definition of under for Students

Medical Dictionary

under

medical Definition of under

under

medical Definition of under

under

medical Definition of under

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