Select the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined phrasal verb:
Three years after the big mall opened on the highway, the old bookshop near the bus stand went under.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → failed
A phrasal verb is a verb joined with a small word such as up, out or together. The two words together have a new meaning.
When a business goes under, it loses so much money that it has to close. Its closest meaning is failed. Example: The sweet shop at the corner went under during the lockdown.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) expanded | to become bigger | The dhaba expanded and now has twenty tables. |
| (2) shifted | to move from one place to another | Our tailor shifted his shop to the main road. |
| (3) failed (answer) | to close down because there is no money, as a business does (same as go under) | Many small hotels failed when tourists stopped coming. |
| (4) recovered | to become well or strong again after a bad time | Dadi recovered quickly after her eye operation. |