# go under

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-under
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To collapse or fail, e.g. by going bankrupt.

## Examples

- If the business does not make money, it will go under.
- The small shop struggled for years with high rent before it finally had to go under.
- Despite the owner's desperate attempts to secure a loan, the company eventually went under, leaving hundreds of employees without work.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.