go to ground—
1. fall down:
- Larsson claimed a penalty when he went to ground after a tussle with Amoruso.
2. (also: go to earth) go into hiding; put oneself out of sight:
- Some key gang leaders had been arrested and the assumption was that the others had “gone to ground.”
go to the ground—
1. = go to ground 1:
- Several of us were hit including me who went to the ground in a pool of blood.
2. be overcome; perish:
- Each vagabond that arrived bent his neck to the yoke of gain…. The strong survived, the weaker went to the ground.
Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase go on the ground— = go to the ground 1:
- She went on the ground and I picked her up and a couple of fellows came along, saying, “Do you want any help, officer?”