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come under

B2 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words

To belong to a group or category, or to start getting criticism or pressure from others.

Literal meaning: To move to a position beneath something.

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

To be classified within a particular category, heading, or area of responsibility.

"Environmental law comes under the jurisdiction of the federal government, not individual states."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To experience criticism, scrutiny, pressure, or attack.

"The CEO came under heavy criticism after the company's data breach became public."

"The administration has come under fire for its handling of the crisis."

— The New York Times, widely used phrasing in political reporting
Grammar: inseparable
3 B2 neutral

To begin to be governed by, controlled by, or influenced by something.

"The territory came under French control in the eighteenth century."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Very common in formal and journalistic writing. The sense of 'experiencing criticism or attack' often appears with nouns like 'fire', 'scrutiny', 'pressure', and 'attack'. The classification sense is common in academic and administrative contexts.

Commonly used with

fire scrutiny pressure criticism attack jurisdiction

Forms

Base
come under
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes under
he/she/it
Past simple
came under
yesterday
Past participle
come under
have + pp
-ing form
coming under
continuous

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