phrasal verb · neutral
go under
UK/ɡəʊ ˈʌndər/US/ɡoʊ ˈʌndər/go un·DER
to fail financially; to be ruined or destroyed (often of a business)
Examples
“Several small retailers went under during the recession.”
“If the project goes under, many people will lose their jobs.”
“The company nearly went under before the takeover.”
Band 8 sentence
“Without a viable restructuring plan, several mid‑sized suppliers are likely to go under within the next fiscal year.”
Collocations
- go under / go bankrupt / go bust
- almost/nearly go under
Word family
Common mistakes
The shop go under last year.→The shop went under last year.
The company was under.→The company went under.
Say it for a higher band
5go bust→6go bankrupt→7+go under
Synonyms
go bankrupt
go bust
Easily confused
go bankrupt
“The firm went bankrupt after years of losses.”
go bust
“Many small shops went bust during the pandemic.”
go under
“If demand continues to fall, several cafes may go under.”
Related words
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