bubbling under

Verb

bubble under (third-person singular simple present bubbles under, present participle bubbling under, simple past and past participle bubbled under)

1. (intransitive) To remain beneath a level.
   • The results bubbled under the limit.
2. (intransitive) To be in the background or margins of a phenomenon.
   • The Republicans were bubbling under in the area, waiting for an electoral break.
3. (intransitive) To be successful on a modest scale, without yet being fully established.
   • The band was still bubbling under then, but their fame was about to explode.