Go under
verb
To fail, especially in business.
After the financial crisis, many small businesses went under.
Often appears as...
- go under financially
- company go under
verb
To be covered by water or another liquid.
The ship hit a rock and went under.
Often appears as...
- ship go under
- car go under
Usage tips
General,Idiomatic
verb
To lose consciousness because of anesthesia before surgery.
The patient went under quickly after the anesthetist administered the drug.
Often appears as...
- patient go under
- go under anesthesia
verb
To fail, especially in business.
After the financial crisis, many small businesses went under.
Often appears as...
- go under financially
- company go under
verb
To be covered by water or another liquid.
The ship hit a rock and went under.
Often appears as...
- ship go under
- car go under
Usage tips
General,Idiomatic
verb
To lose consciousness because of anesthesia before surgery.
The patient went under quickly after the anesthetist administered the drug.
Often appears as...
- patient go under
- go under anesthesia
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Business Context
Used in economic contexts to talk about failure, often due to financial problems.
The shop will go under if we don't increase our sales.
Pro Tip 2/3Metaphorical Usage
'Go under' doesn't mean physically moving underneath something in this context.
Because of poor management, the startup went under in just a year.
Pro Tip 3/3Risk Implication
It implies a risk that affects the entire entity, not just part of it.
The new regulations might make several companies go under.
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