go under
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To sink under water, for a company to go bankrupt, or to fall asleep from an anaesthetic.
Literal meaning: To go below the surface of the water.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
For a business to fail financially and cease trading.
"Three local restaurants went under during the economic downturn."
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 neutral
To sink below the surface of water.
"The lifeboat capsized and went under within seconds."
Grammar: inseparable
3 B2
idiomatic
informal
To lose consciousness when given a general anaesthetic.
"She counted backwards from ten and went under before she reached seven."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
The business failure sense is very common in journalism and financial reporting. The anaesthetic sense is widely used in medical and everyday contexts. The literal sinking sense is less frequent but transparent.
Commonly used with
company business ship anaesthetic debt firm
Forms
Base
go under
I/you/we/they
3rd person
goes under
he/she/it
Past simple
went under
yesterday
Past participle
gone under
have + pp
-ing form
going under
continuous
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