they underwent surgery

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they underwent surgery" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a medical procedure that someone has experienced, typically in a clinical or narrative context. Example: "After the accident, they underwent surgery to repair the damage to their leg."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

The officers were taken to University Hospital in Newark, where they underwent surgery last night.

The New York Times

They then analysed whether the patient's death rate was impacted by being admitted to a different hospital than where they underwent surgery.

The Guardian

The two survivors, Specialist Dmitri Petrov and Specialist Edwin A. Mejia, were taken to Samaritan Medical Center in nearby Watertown, where Army chaplains said they prayed with them before they underwent surgery Tuesday night.

The New York Times

● Bite the bullet: Meaning to power through something unpleasant, the term comes from the practice of providing wounded soldiers a bullet to clench their teeth on while they underwent surgery without anesthetic.

The Washington Post

This procedure has been used three times — by Ronald Reagan in 1985 and by George W. Bush in 2002 and 2007 — transferring power briefly to their vice presidents as they underwent surgery under general anesthesia.

The Washington Post

The team then developed a detailed three-dimensional model of a cleft lip and palate, using M.R.I. and CT scans of two Chinese children with clefts, 8-year-old Shan Furong and 11-year-old Yi Yun, before and after they underwent surgery at N.Y.U.

The New York Times - Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

They undergo surgery, radiation and chemotherapy unnecessarily.

The New York Times

The drug was approved to prevent blood clots in people born with a rare hereditary deficiency of antithrombin while they undergo surgery or childbirth.

The New York Times

By contrast, transsexuals, both male and female, are uncomfortable with their sex and usually cross-dress for an extended period before they undergo surgery.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Moreover, some of these patients suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy, and they undergo surgery to stop seizures.

Brain Informatics

BACKGROUND: Despite the ability of radical prostatectomy to eradicate prostate carcinoma, biochemical evidence of recurrent prostate carcinoma may be seen in approximately 40% of patients 15 years after they undergo surgery.

Duke University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing for a general audience, consider using simpler terms like "they had surgery" instead of the more formal "they underwent surgery".

Common error

Avoid using "they underwent surgery" in casual contexts. Opt for more conversational alternatives like "they had an operation" or "they had surgery".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they underwent surgery" functions as a verbal phrase indicating that a group of individuals experienced a surgical procedure. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

40%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "they underwent surgery" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to indicate that a group of individuals experienced a surgical procedure. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While versatile, it tends towards a neutral to formal register, commonly appearing in news reports, scientific publications, and academic papers. For less formal contexts, alternatives like "they had surgery" might be more appropriate. The phrase's communicative purpose is primarily to report factual information about a medical event.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they had an operation

Replaces the formal "underwent surgery" with a more common term.

they were operated on

Uses passive voice to describe the surgical procedure.

they received surgical intervention

Emphasizes the medical aspect with a more formal tone.

they had surgical treatment

Focuses on the treatment aspect of the surgery.

they were treated surgically

Highlights the method of treatment.

surgery was performed on them

Uses passive voice and emphasizes the surgery itself.

they went through surgery

Emphasizes the experience of having surgery.

they were subjected to surgery

Implies a potentially negative or unavoidable aspect of surgery.

they required surgery

Focuses on the necessity of the surgery.

they had a surgical procedure

More specific in describing the event as a surgical procedure.

FAQs

What does "they underwent surgery" mean?

The phrase "they underwent surgery" means that a group of people had a medical operation performed on them.

Is it better to say "they underwent surgery" or "they had surgery"?

Both phrases are correct, but "they had surgery" is generally considered more common and less formal than "they underwent surgery".

What can I say instead of "they underwent surgery"?

You can use alternatives like "they had an operation", "they were operated on", or "they received surgical intervention" depending on the context.

Is "they underwent surgery" grammatically correct?

Yes, "they underwent surgery" is grammatically correct. The verb "undergo" means to experience or be subjected to something, in this case, a surgical procedure.