undergo

verb

un·​der·​go ˌən-dər-ˈgō How to pronounce undergo (audio)
underwent ˌən-dər-ˈwent How to pronounce undergo (audio) ; undergone ˌən-dər-ˈgȯn How to pronounce undergo (audio)
 also  -ˈgän
; undergoing ˌən-dər-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce undergo (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

1
: to submit to : endure
2
: to go through : experience
undergo a transformation
3
obsolete : undertake
4
obsolete : to partake of

Examples of undergo in a Sentence

She will have to undergo an operation. some people undergo a complete transformation while away at college
Recent Examples on the Web Kate was the only person to vote to end the game, and the other three chose to undergo one last banishment. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Blew wanted to know if there would be a private area for people to undergo additional screenings. Marc Hayot, arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2024 It wasn’t considered serious enough to undergo imaging. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Richardson underwent successful season-ending surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 In April 2021, the American underwent emergency surgery for endometriosis where a tennis ball-sized cyst was removed. Ben Church, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 He was rushed to a hospital and underwent emergency surgery for a brain bleed, police said. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 Andries, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, is free on $150,000 bond and has yet to undergo his preliminary hearing. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Still, advocates have praised the legislation as a necessity for families undergoing IVF to resume their treatment with legal protections. Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undergo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of undergo was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near undergo

Cite this Entry

“Undergo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergo. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

undergo

verb
un·​der·​go ˌən-dər-ˈgō How to pronounce undergo (audio)
underwent
-ˈwent
; undergone -ˈgȯn How to pronounce undergo (audio)
 also  -ˈgän
; undergoing -ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce undergo (audio)
1
: endure sense 2
undergo an operation
2
: to pass through : experience
undergoing a change

More from Merriam-Webster on undergo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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