come under

be the target of something like criticism, pressure, or attack

B2

What does "come under sth" mean?

To come under criticism, pressure, or scrutiny means to find yourself on the receiving end of something challenging or negative — usually directed at you by others. It is most often used to describe institutions, public figures, companies, or governments when they face strong disapproval or close examination. The phrasal verb carries a sense that the pressure or criticism is coming from outside and that the subject has little control over it. It pairs almost exclusively with a fixed set of nouns: fire, pressure, scrutiny, attack, criticism, investigation, and a few others — so the choice of collocate really matters. You will encounter it frequently in news reports and journalism, though it is natural in conversation too.

Examples

How to use it

subject + come under + noun (criticism / pressure / fire / scrutiny)

The most common pattern: the subject experiences the criticism or pressure, and a noun naming it follows 'under' directly.

The airline has come under heavy criticism for its new baggage fees.

subject + come under + adjective + noun

An adjective such as 'intense', 'mounting', 'heavy', or 'increasing' is frequently placed before the noun to show the degree or growing nature of the pressure.

The tech company came under increasing pressure to improve its data privacy policies.

subject + come under + noun + for + reason

Use 'for' followed by a noun or gerund to explain why the criticism or scrutiny is happening.

The minister came under fire for his comments about the proposed budget cuts.

subject + come under + noun + from + source

Use 'from' to specify who is directing the criticism, pressure, or scrutiny at the subject.

The hospital came under scrutiny from health inspectors following a series of complaints.

subject + come under + investigation / suspicion

With 'investigation' or 'suspicion', no article is needed — these nouns follow 'under' directly without 'a' or 'the'.

Three senior officials came under investigation after financial irregularities were discovered.

Common Collocations

come under firecome under pressurecome under criticismcome under scrutinycome under attackcome under investigation

Common Mistakes

Confusing the two senses of 'come under'

'Come under' has a separate meaning of being classified within a category (e.g. 'This topic comes under science'). The sense here — being subjected to criticism or pressure — only works with collocates like fire, pressure, scrutiny, and criticism. Mixing the two senses can produce confusing sentences.

✗ The company came under a different department after the merger.
✓ The company came under scrutiny after the merger was announced.
Using unusual or positive nouns after 'under'

This phrasal verb collocates with a specific set of negative or challenging nouns. Using it with positive or unexpected nouns sounds unnatural in English.

✗ The charity came under praise for its fundraising efforts.
✓ The charity received praise for its fundraising efforts. / The charity's approach came under scrutiny despite its success.
Avoiding the present perfect continuous

While many tenses work with this phrasal verb, the present perfect continuous sounds awkward and should be avoided. Use the present perfect simple or present continuous instead.

✗ The school has been coming under criticism for months.
✓ The school has come under criticism for months. / The school is coming under criticism.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral to formal and is especially common in news articles and reports. It almost always collocates with negative nouns like 'fire', 'pressure', 'scrutiny', or 'criticism', so using it with positive nouns sounds unnatural.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'come under' be used in the passive, like 'criticism was come under'?

No — 'come under' cannot be used in the passive in this sense. The subject of the sentence is always the person or organisation receiving the criticism or pressure, so the structure already puts them in focus without needing a passive form. Simply use the active: 'The company came under criticism', not 'Criticism was come under by the company'.

Does 'come under' always suggest something negative?

In this sense, yes — 'come under' almost always collocates with negative or challenging nouns like fire, pressure, attack, scrutiny, criticism, and investigation. Using it with neutral or positive nouns will sound unnatural to native speakers. If you want to describe something positive happening to someone, a different verb is usually needed.

What kinds of subjects work best with 'come under' in this sense?

The most natural subjects are institutions, organisations, governments, companies, and people in positions of authority or public responsibility — politicians, executives, officials, and so on. It can be used with ordinary individuals, but it is most at home when describing figures or bodies that are publicly accountable.

Is 'come under fire' a fixed expression, or can I change the word 'fire'?

'Come under fire' is one of the most common fixed collocations, but 'fire' can be replaced with other established nouns such as pressure, scrutiny, criticism, attack, investigation, or suspicion. However, the choice of noun is not completely open — sticking to this core set will sound natural, while choosing unusual nouns will not.

Can I use 'come in for' instead of 'come under' for criticism?

'Come in for' is a close alternative and also means receiving criticism, but it is slightly more informal and is mainly used with 'criticism' or 'praise'. 'Come under' is more formal, appears more often in journalism and reports, and works with a wider range of nouns including fire, attack, scrutiny, and pressure.

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