under
adverb
\
Definition of under
(Entry 1 of 3)
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
under
prepositionDefinition of under (Entry 2 of 3)
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
2a : 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
3a : 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
under
adjectiveDefinition of under (Entry 3 of 3)
1a : lying or placed below, beneath, or on the ventral side —often used in combination the ocean's undercurrentsthe 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
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Synonyms & Antonyms for under
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Preposition
Antonyms: Adverb
Antonyms: Preposition
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Examples of under in a Sentence
Adverb
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.Preposition
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 on the Web: Adverb
Admission is $5 per person at the gate and free for kids 11 and under. — Linda Mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Patriotic group elects officers...community news," 2 July 2018 Children 11 and under are admitted free to the South Park, and everyone will be admitted free to South Park after 5 p.m. July 4 to see the evening fireworks display. — David Sharos, Naperville Sun, "Naperville Ribfest all about food, music and carnival rides; big cut in South Park ticket prices this year," 29 June 2018 Families are welcome and kids 11 and under get in for free. — Karen Bliss, Billboard, "Canada's Metalocalypstick Fest Will Celebrate Women in Rock While Giving Back," 17 Mar. 2018 Admission is $15 per day or $28 for a three-day pass; kids 12 and under get in free. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Colby Cheese Days, Hodag Country Festival and more to do around Wisconsin this week," 8 July 2018 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 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition
Some scenarios would make use of existing seats, moving students in overcrowded schools to those that are under-capacity. — Libby Solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Firm presents 7 scenarios to address Balto. Co. high school overcrowding; all include new Towson High," 13 July 2018 The UW-Extension — the umbrella for county agriculture agents, 4-H clubs and Master Gardener programs — is now under the leadership of UW-Madison. — Karen Herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Retro UW-Madison delivery van hits road with myth-busting facts, Babcock ice cream," 13 July 2018 And a document from November 2002 shared by the House Rules Committee says speeding tickets — as well as violations for driving under the influence — aren’t covered. — Washington Post, "Arizona lawmaker apologizes after video shows 140 mph brag," 12 July 2018 But others had lesser charges, such as driving under the influence. — NBC News, "Feds won't say if they will reunite kids with deported parents," 12 July 2018 The small plates restaurant serves an always-changing menu featuring seasonal ingredients under global influence—everything from charred octopus with taro chips to Oaxacan hibiscus empanadas. — Christina Pérez, Vogue, "Why Milwaukee, Wisconsin Is the Midwest’s Coolest (and Most Underrated) City," 10 July 2018 The airline plans to focus on under-performing routes when making its cuts. — Kelly Yamanouchi, ajc, "Delta to trim growth plans for flights this fall," 13 July 2018 Food and wine stations open at 6:30 p.m., followed by the performance of classic Italian songs at 7:30 p.m. The event is $69; register at milwaukeepublicmarket.org, under the Events tab, or call (414) 336-1111. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Italian food, wine and opera event planned at the Milwaukee Public Market," 13 July 2018 The two musicians have been collaborating under the name since 2009. — Carrie Blackmore Smith, Cincinnati.com, "A different kind of Big Red Machine is back," 13 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Hospital staff told the deputy Rangel left the room and walked out of the hospital despite being under arrest, court documents show. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Houston DWI suspect who escaped from hospital captured 5 days later," 18 June 2018 After the two boys were moved into the police car, an officer at the end of Lindell's video said the boys were not under arrest. — Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "A police officer pointed his gun at 4 unarmed, black teens. Now police are investigating," 12 July 2018 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. 2018These 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.
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Learn More about under
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Over and Under of It
The Over and Under of It
9 phrases from above and below
Dictionary Entries near under
Statistics for under
Last Updated
11 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for under
The first known use of under was before the 12th century
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More Definitions for under
under
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of under
(Entry 1 of 2)
: 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
prepositionEnglish Language Learners Definition of under (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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)
See the full definition for under in the English Language Learners Dictionary
under
adverb
\
Kids Definition of under
(Entry 1 of 3)
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
prepositionKids Definition of under (Entry 2 of 3)
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
adjectiveKids Definition of under (Entry 3 of 3)
1 : lying or placed below or beneath
2
: lower in position or authority
under
adverb
\
Medical Definition of under
(Entry 1 of 3)
: in or into a condition of unconsciousness put the patient under prior to surgery
under
prepositionMedical Definition of under (Entry 2 of 3)
: receiving or using the action or application of an operation performed under local anesthesia
under
adjectiveMedical Definition of under (Entry 3 of 3)
: being in an induced state of unconsciousness given intravenously when the patient is under —C. A. Birch
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