Sentences With Under: 60 Examples by Meaning

Under means “lower than and covered by something”: The cat is under the table. It also means less than (under $20, children under five), controlled or affected by (under pressure, under the new manager) and in the process of (under construction, under review). Below are 60 example sentences grouped by these meanings, the fixed phrases that use under, how it differs from below, beneath and underneath, and exercises with answers.

The key learner rule: use under for things directly covered by something, for ages and amounts, and in fixed phrases; use below for levels on a scale (below freezing, below average).

On this page: position · movement · less than · control and authority · in progress · condition · fixed phrases · under, below, beneath, underneath · under vs over · short answers · under as an adverb and prefix · idioms · mistakes · exercises · FAQ

Sentences with “under” for position

Something is under another thing when it is lower and usually covered or hidden by it.

1. The cat is sleeping under the table.
2. I found my phone under a pile of clothes.
3. She keeps a spare key under the doormat.
4. We sat under an old oak tree to keep out of the sun.
5. The pipes run under the street.
6. He wore a T-shirt under his jacket.
7. Write your name under the title.
8. The boat sank and is now under ten metres of water.
9. There’s a supermarket under our flat.
10. The dog hides under the bed when it thunders.

Sentences with “under” for movement

With a verb of movement, under means passing below something, from one side to the other.

11. The children crawled under the fence.
12. A small boat passed under the bridge.
13. The ball rolled under the sofa.
14. Trains go under the sea through the Channel Tunnel.
15. Slide the letter under the door.
16. The cat squeezed under the gate.

Sentences with “under” meaning less than

Use under for ages, prices, times and quantities. Below is also possible for numbers on a scale, but under is more common in everyday speech for ages and money.

17. Children under five travel free.
18. You can’t buy alcohol if you’re under eighteen.
19. Everything in this shop costs under ten euros.
20. She ran the race in under two hours.
21. The flight takes just under three hours.
22. The project was finished on time and under budget.
23. Fewer than fifty people came, well under what we expected.
24. The town has a population of under 10,000.
25. This box weighs under a kilo.
26. Only students under 25 can apply.

For temperatures and averages, use below: It was ten degrees below zero. His marks were below average. “Under zero” is heard, but “below zero” and “below freezing” are the normal forms.

Sentences with “under” for control and authority

27. The team played much better under their new coach.
28. The country was under military rule for ten years.
29. Twelve people work under her. (She is their boss.)
30. The soldiers were under the captain’s command.
31. The children are under their grandmother’s care this week.
32. Under the new law, shops must close by 10 p.m.
33. The museum is run under a government contract.
34. He published the book under a different name.

Sentence 34 shows a common meaning learners miss: under a name = using that name. “The table is booked under Garcia.” “She writes under a pen name.”

Sentences with “under” for something in progress

Only some nouns work in this pattern. These are the natural ones:

35. The new stadium is under construction.
36. The bridge is under repair.
37. The plan is under review.
38. Your application is under consideration.
39. The matter is under discussion.
40. Two new medicines are under development.
41. The police officer is under investigation.
42. The deal is still under negotiation.
43. The new rules are under debate in parliament.
44. The patient was kept under observation overnight.
45. Work on the new road is now under way (also written underway).

Do not build new phrases on this pattern. “Under processing”, “under editing”, “under testing” and “under analysis” are not natural English; say “being processed“, “being edited“, “in testing“, “being analysed“.

Sentences with “under” for a condition or influence

46. She’s been under a lot of pressure at work.
47. He was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
48. Everything is under control.
49. The town is under a curfew.
50. The witness spoke under oath.
51. The thief was placed under arrest.
52. I was under the impression that you had already left. (= I thought)
53. The documents are kept under lock and key.
54. The new phone is still under warranty.
55. Many plants die under these conditions.
56. Under the circumstances, we had to cancel the trip.
57. Under no circumstances should you open this door.
58. He has been under stress since he lost his job.
59. The country is under threat of flooding.
60. She is under a doctor’s care.

Note: we say “on medication” and “on antibiotics”, not “under medication”.

Fixed phrases with “under”

Under, below, beneath and underneath

The opposite of under is usually over (over the bridge, over 18) or on (on the table); the opposite of below is above (above zero, above average). For more, see sentences with “below”, “beneath”, “underneath”, “over”, sentences with “above”, the in, on, under worksheet and 100 preposition sentences.

“Under” and “over”: opposite pairs

Many sentences with under have a natural opposite with over. Learning them in pairs makes both easier to remember.

Note the last two rows: with control, the person in charge has power over others, and the others are under that person. With the prefixes, under- means too little and over- too much.

“Under” in questions and short answers

In conversation, under often appears in a short answer to a where or how much question, without a full sentence:

• “Where are my keys?” “Under the newspaper.”
• “Where do you keep the cleaning things?” “Under the sink.”
• “How much was it?” “Just under fifty pounds.”
• “How old are the kids in this group?” “All under ten.”
• “What name is the booking under?” “It’s under Silva.” (Here under ends the question, which is normal in English.)
• “Is everything OK?” “Yes, it’s all under control.”

“Under” as an adverb and as a prefix

• Adverb: The ship hit the rocks and went under (sank). The small shop went under (closed because it lost money). Children of five and under eat free.
• Prefix “under-” = too little: undercooked, underpaid, underestimate, underweight.
• Prefix “under-” = below: underground, underwater, underline, underwear.

Prefix words are written as one word: underwater (an underwater camera), but “The camera works under water” is also correct as a phrase.

Idioms with “under”

• under the weather: slightly ill. I’m a bit under the weather today.
• under someone’s thumb: completely controlled by them.
• under wraps: kept secret. The new design is still under wraps.
• under your belt: already achieved. She has two marathons under her belt.
• under the table: secretly and illegally (paid under the table).
• sweep something under the carpet / rug: hide a problem.
• under your breath: in a quiet voice so others can’t hear.

Common mistakes

• “The book is under of the table.” → under the table (no of).
• “It’s five degrees under zero.” → five degrees below zero.
• “He is under medication.” → He is on medication.
• “The car is under repaired.” → under repair (a noun after under).
• “My results were under average.” → below average.
• “The business has less than 10 employees.” → fewer than 10 employees (or under 10 employees).
• “Under no circumstances you should…” → Under no circumstances should you…

Exercises with answers

A. Under, below or on?

1. The temperature fell to ten degrees ______ zero.
2. There’s a cat ______ the car.
3. Tickets are free for children ______ twelve.
4. He’s been ______ antibiotics for a week.
5. Please don’t write ______ this line.
6. The road is ______ construction.

Answers: 1 below. 2 under. 3 under. 4 on. 5 below. 6 under.

B. Complete with a phrase: under arrest, under the impression, under way, under warranty, under the weather.

1. I was ______ that the meeting was on Friday.
2. My laptop is still ______ , so the repair is free.
3. Preparations for the festival are already ______ .
4. The man was placed ______ .
5. She stayed home because she felt ______ .

Answers: 1 under the impression. 2 under warranty. 3 under way. 4 under arrest. 5 under the weather.

C. Correct the mistake.

1. The keys are under of the cushion.
2. Our sales were under average this month.
3. Under no circumstances you should tell him.
4. The house is under repaired.

Answers: 1 under the cushion. 2 below average. 3 Under no circumstances should you tell him. 4 under repair (or “being repaired”).

FAQ

What are 5 sentences using “under”?

The cat is under the table. Children under five travel free. She is under a lot of pressure. The bridge is under construction. Everything is under control.

Is “under” a preposition or an adverb?

Usually a preposition (under the bed), but it is an adverb when nothing follows: “The boat went under.”

What is the difference between “under” and “below”?

Under means directly lower and often covered; below means lower on a level or scale. A rug is under the table; a flat is below ours; a temperature is below zero.

Is it “under way” or “underway”?

Both are used. “Under way” is the traditional spelling; “underway” is now very common, especially in American English.

Can I say “under the sun”?

Yes, in two ways. Literally, it means in the sunshine: “We sat under the sun all afternoon” (though “in the sun” is more common). As an idiom, “everything under the sun” means every possible thing: “We talked about everything under the sun.”