From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishundergoun‧der‧go /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ $ ˌʌndərˈɡoʊ/ ●●○ AWL verb (past tense underwent /-ˈwent/, past participle undergone /-ˈɡɒn $ -ˈɡɒːn/) [transitive] HAPPENif you undergo a change, an unpleasant experience etc, it happens to you or is done to you The country has undergone massive changes recently. He has been released from prison to undergo medical treatment in the United States. She has been undergoing tests since Monday. Teachers should be expected to undergo mid-career training and development.COLLOCATIONSnounsundergo a changeThe equipment has undergone several important design changes in recent years.undergo a transformation (=change completely)After the accident, his personality underwent a complete transformation.undergo treatment/surgery/an operationThe cyclist underwent emergency surgery yesterday after a collision with a car.undergo tests/trialsHe is undergoing tests for pneumonia.undergo trainingDoctors have to undergo years of training.undergo repairs/restorationThe ship is currently undergoing extensive repairs.undergo questioning/interrogation (=answer questions from the police)Mrs White underwent 20 hours of questioning, and admitted nothing. → See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
undergo• Part of Mrs Galley's right arm was shattered and she underwent a five-hour emergency operation.• The hostages were eventually released after undergoing a terrifying ordeal.• They not only reprimanded her, but made her undergo counseling sessions -- in other words, mandatory brain-washing.• In the last few years the museum has undergone extensive renovation.• Store detectives undergo extensive training routines which include role playing and watching videos of mock incidents.• He underwent major heart surgery last year.• Under these conditions many solids undergo phase changes, and the nature of the accompanying changes in structure can be studied.• The body politic may have undergone radical surgery and it may have aged considerably, but it has continued to endure.• The computer industry has undergone some major changes over the past 15 years.• He was taken to Hospital Espanol where he underwent surgery but died at about 3 a.m.• In March he underwent surgery for the cancer.• She has undergone three hip replacement surgeries in the last three years.• He has undergone tremendous emotional problems following the breakdown of his marriage.• At that time she was undergoing tremendous emotional problems following the breakup of her marriage.undergo ... treatment• Not all cancer patients prefer to continue working while undergoing treatment.• Since September, du Pont has been undergoing treatment at a state psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.• Watercolour papers undergo different sizing treatments at various stages of the papermaking process - applied internally or externally.• The couple are still undergoing intensive treatment for injuries caused by the attempt on their lives.• Mobutu, undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, has been operating largely from his villa in nearby RoquebruneCap-Martin.• Simon has now cut right down on the amount of time he spend playing and has also undergone treatment from his doctor.• But top psychiatrist Professor Stuart Fischoff says if Diana underwent treatment it could mean the end of her marriage. 