under

adverb un·der \ ˈən-dər \

|Updated on: 18 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

This year’s show is being held at Catalpa Farms, and admission is $10, free for kids 12 and under.

— for lg&e ku, The Courier-Journal, "Leave screen-time behind for these outdoor events," 3 July 2018
Kids 12 and under enjoy a free meal with any adult entrée purchase.

— claire perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Burt & Max's decadent mac and cheese is better than Mom's," 22 June 2018
Kids ages 13 and under can challenge their friends at events including a 60-yard dash, outfield throw, accuracy throw, home run running, outfield relay throw, and wiffle ball.

— mary schneidau sullivan, Laurel Leader, "Camp offers "faith-deepening" adventures [Old Town]," 21 June 2018
Some of the recommendations for players ages 8 and under include: — Six-inning games.

— baltimoresun.com, "With Ripken's help, MLB and USA Baseball modify youth game to pick up the pace," 22 May 2018
Tickets are $10 for adults; free for age 18 and under.

— nancy shohet west, BostonGlobe.com, "The birth of leisure as seen through fashion – now at Fruitlands Museum," 17 May 2018
The price is $95 per adult and includes bottomless sparkling wine ($35 for children ages 5 to 12, complimentary for children ages 4 and under).

— julie giuffrida, latimes.com, "Where to take mom for Mother's Day brunch," 3 May 2018
Safe, fun activities will be available for toddlers ages 3 and under, too.

— luann gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Kids can drive bulldozers, dump trucks, more at hands-on Big Dig event," 10 Apr. 2018
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

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 cause of this accident is under investigation, Gile said.

— nathan j. fish, azcentral, "Man caught in hydraulic machine in critical condition," 13 July 2018
New Chicago Fire Chief Joe Eakins said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

— craig lyons, Post-Tribune, "Vacant dance hall in New Chicago destroyed by fire, putting plans for development on hold," 13 July 2018
The cause of the fires is still under investigation.

— city news service, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Firefighters respond to multiple fires in Ocean Beach," 13 July 2018
The department is currently under investigation by the NCAA for its role in the Nassar abuse scandal.

— david jesse, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State to name Bill Beekman permanent athletic director on Monday," 13 July 2018
The cause of the fire, which started in a garden apartment on the north side of the building, is under investigation, Russell said.

— hannah leone, chicagotribune.com, "Residents escape on ladders from Chatham apartment fire," 13 July 2018
Electricians Local 98 is under investigation by the feds, and Crawford’s phone was tapped by the FBI from 2015 to 2016.

— chris brennan, Philly.com, "Nancy Pelosi pals around with convicted tax dodger at Dems fundraiser in Philly," 13 July 2018
An autopsy was being scheduled Friday by the Lake County Coroner’s Office, and the crash remained under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.

— jim newton, Lake County News-Sun, "Man dies in Antioch Township crash Friday; second motorcycle death in Lake County this week," 13 July 2018
The cause of death remains under investigation but foul play does not appear to have been involved, officials said.

— mike glenn, Houston Chronicle, "Woman's body found outside LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch," 12 July 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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See words that rhyme with under Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for under Spanish Central: Translation of under Nglish: Translation of under for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of under for Arabic speakers

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under

Definition of under

Examples of under in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of under

under Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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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

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Definition of under for Students

under

Definition of under for Students

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Definition of under for Students

Medical Dictionary

under

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under

medical Definition of under

under

medical Definition of under

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