To purchase something that someone else was relying on or expected to own, leaving them without it.
Buy something that someone else needed or wanted, so they are left with nothing.
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
To purchase property, a business, or an asset that another person was counting on, leaving them dispossessed.
"A large developer bought the building out from under the small business owners who had been renting there for decades."
To buy something out from underneath someone — pulling the floor away from under them.
Buy something that someone else needed or wanted, so they are left with nothing.
Often used to describe an aggressive or opportunistic business move. Implies the victim had no warning or recourse. More common in American English.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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