go

1 of 4

verb

ˈgō

went ˈwent

; gone ˈgȯn

also ˈgän

; going ˈgō-iŋ

ˈgȯ(-)iŋ;

"going to" in sense 13 is often ˈgō-ə-nə,

or ˈgȯ-nə,

ˈgə-nə

; goes ˈgōz

Synonyms of go next

intransitive verb

: to move on a course : proceed

go slow

went by train

compare stop

: to travel to a place

goes to the office every morning

went to the gas station before heading home

: to travel to and stay in a place for a period of time

went to Paris for a month

plan to go to their beach house for the summer

: to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied : leave, depart

went from school to the party

going away for vacation

: to take a certain course or follow a certain procedure

reports go through channels to the president

: to pass by means of a process like journeying

the message went by wire

: to proceed without delay and often in a thoughtless or reckless manner

—used especially to intensify a complementary verb

why did you go and spoil it

go jump in a lake

d(1)

: to extend from point to point or in a certain direction

the road goes to the lake

(2)

: to give access : lead

that door goes to the cellar

obsolete : walk

: to be habitually in a certain state or condition

go bareheaded

: to become lost, consumed, or spent

our time has gone

: die

: to slip away : elapse

the evening went quickly

: to come to be given up or discarded

this clutter has to go

: to pass by sale

went for a good price

: to become impaired or weakened

his hearing started to go

: to give way especially under great force or pressure : break

the roof went

: to move along in a specified manner : fare

everything was going well

: to be in general or on an average

cheap, as yachts go

: to be or become especially as the result of a contest

the election went in her favor

: to turn out well : succeed

worked hard to make the party go

: to apply oneself

went to work on the problem

: to put or subject oneself

went to unnecessary expense

chiefly Southern US and Midland US : intend

I didn't go to do it

: to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision : resort

go to court to recover damages

: to be guided, governed, or regulated

We were just going by what we'd been told.

The police tried to locate the culprit, but they didn't have much to go on.

: to act in agreement or cooperation

… the echo of my girlfriend's voice comes into my head, saying, "Whatever happens, just go with it."—

Jason Schwartzman

: to begin an action or motion

here goes

: to maintain or perform a certain action or motion

still going strong

: to function in the proper or expected manner : run

the motor won't go

: to be known

goes by an alias

: to act in accordance or harmony

a good rule to go by

: to come to be determined

dreams go by contraries

: to come to be applied or appropriated

all proceeds go to charity

: to pass by award, assignment, or lot

the prize went to a sophomore

e(1)

: to contribute to an end or result

qualities that go to make a hero

(2)

: to be of advantage

has a lot going for her

: to be about, intending, or expecting something

—used in a progressive tense before an infinitive

is going to leave town

: extend

his knowledge fails to go very deep

: to come or arrive at a certain state or condition

go to sleep

" … I finally went to pieces and couldn't stop crying for two hours. … "—

Gwendoline Christie

noun (1)

ˈgō

plural goes

: the act or manner of going

: the height of fashion : rage

elegant shawls labeled … "quite the go"—

R. S. Surtees

: an often unexpected turn of affairs : occurrence

: the quantity used or furnished at one time

you can obtain a go of brandy for sixpence—

C. B. Fairbanks

: energy, vigor

: a turn in an activity (such as a game)

it's your go

: attempt, try

have a go at painting

: a spell of activity

finished the job at one go

: success

made a go of the business

: permission to proceed : go-ahead

gave the astronauts a go for another orbit

3 of 4

adjective

: functioning properly : being in good and ready condition

declared all systems go

4 of 4

: a game played between two players who alternately place black and white stones on a board checkered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines in an attempt to enclose the larger area on the board

Phrases

go about

: to set about : to begin to do

go after

: to try to get : seek

go all the way

: to enter into complete agreement

: to engage in sexual intercourse

go at

: to make an attack on

: to make an approach to

went at the problem from different angles

: undertake

go back on

: abandon

She went back on her word.

: betray

: fail

was afraid that his mind might go back on him

go begging

: to be in little demand

go by the board

: to be carried over a ship's side

: to be discarded

Budget cuts meant that some projects had to go by the board.

go easy

: to be sparing

go easy with the sugar

go easy on the kid

go fly a kite

: to stop being an annoyance or disturbance

told him to go fly a kite

go for

: to pass for or serve as

Silvered glass once went for mirrors.

: to try to secure or attain (something, such as a goal)

go for the prize

: favor, accept

cannot go for your idea

: to have an interest in or liking for

She went for him in a big way.—

Chandler Brossard

: attack, assail

my dog went for the intruder

go for broke

: to put forth all one's strength or resources

went for broke to qualify for the Olympics

go great guns

: to achieve great success

The movie was going great guns worldwide.

go hang

: to cease to be of interest or concern

go into

: to be contained in (something)

5 goes into 60 12 times

: to begin to be in (a specified state or condition)

The fugitive went into hiding.

"Scott went into a tizzy," she said.—

Lucinda Franks

I went into a deep funk over the nasty things I've written …—

P. J. O'Rourke

Her body began jerking violently, and she went into a coma.—

Patrick Rogers et al.

Seven months later Wall Street crashed and the economy went into freefall.—

Bill Bryson

: to begin (a specified kind of movement)

The plane went into a tailspin.

… the car hit a patch of ice and went into a skid …—

Ron Fimrite

: to enter (something) as a profession or occupation

She decided to go into law/medicine.

He went into business for himself.

: to subject (something) to examination or discussion

The auditors went into every aspect of the company's operations.

I'll explain later—I don't have the time to go into it right now.

She told me briefly what had happened, but didn't go into too much detail.

go it

: to behave in a reckless, excited, or impromptu manner

: to proceed in a rapid or furious manner

: to conduct one's affairs : act

insists on going it alone

go missing

chiefly British : to become lost : disappear

go one better

: outdo, surpass

go over

: examine

went over the test results

: repeat

: study, review

went over his notes before taking the test

go places

: to be on the way to success

go public

: to make a public disclosure

go steady

: to date one person exclusively and frequently

go through

: to subject to thorough examination, consideration, or study

went through the list of items one by one

: experience, undergo

had to go through quite an ordeal

: carry out, perform

went through his work in a daze

go to bat for

: to give active support or assistance to : defend, champion

go to bed with

: to have sexual intercourse with

go to one's head

: to cause one to become confused, excited, or dizzy

The wine went to his head.

: to cause one to become conceited or overconfident

Fame went to her head.

go to pieces

: to become shattered (as in nerves or health)

go to the mat

: to make an all-out combative effort (as in support of a position)

go to town

: to work or act rapidly or efficiently

They went to town on decorating the building.

: to be markedly successful

The team really went to town, winning 14–0.

: to indulge oneself excessively

He went to town on a big platter of beef and potatoes.

go with

: date

: choose sense 2

went with an iron off the tee

go without saying

: to be self-evident

go with the flow

: conform sense 2b

no go

: to no avail : useless

Attempts to get the computer running have been no go.

on the go

: constantly or restlessly active

a housewife and mother who's always on the go

Examples of go in a Sentence

Verb He went to the window and looked out at the yard. She goes to the office every morning and comes home in the evening. I'm tired. Let's go home. She went downstairs to the kitchen. The train goes from New York to Chicago. I went with my family to Rome last year. We're going to Iowa for a week. The car was going too fast. How much farther do we have to go? She went a long way to see him. Noun (1) snowboarding is all the go a healthy six-year-old full of go it took several goes to get the car started a young executive with the go to make this company grow Adjective all systems are go

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Verb

Tough way for the drive to end for Philly, which opted to kick a short field goal instead of going for the tie. —

Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024 Filippone recently sold a condo whose agent went into contract, then didn’t send in his client’s application. —

Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024

Noun

Still, even having a flexible option to code on the go is appreciated. —

Jordan Minor, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024 Print vibrant 2x3 photos with the compact Kodak Step Slim Instant Smartphone Photo Printer for $79.99 — a must-have for memory-makers on the go. —

New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024

Adjective

If the Cowboys opt for the poison preferred recently by Carolina, Evans — Tampa Bay’s career receiving yardage leader — could conduct a go-route clinic. —

Joey Knight, Dallas News, 14 Jan. 2023 This is my new go-spring treat for sunny afternoons and porch-chair traveling. —

Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Apr. 2021 See all Example Sentences for go

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun (1), and Adjective

Middle English gon, from Old English gān; akin to Old High German gān to go, Greek kichanein to reach, attain

Noun (2)

Japanese

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1961, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of go was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing go

Cite this Entry

Style

“Go.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

1 of 3 verb

ˈgō

went ˈwent

; gone ˈgȯn

also ˈgän

; going ˈgō-iŋ

; goes ˈgōz

: to move on a course : proceed

go slow

go by train

: to move away from one point to or toward another : leave, depart

: follow entry 1 sense 4, traverse

go the whole route

go my way

: to pass by a process like journeying

the message went by wire

the prize went to the winner

: extend sense 4, run

our land goes to the river

: lead entry 1 sense 1d

that door goes to the cellar

: to be habitually in a certain state

goes bareheaded

: to become lost, consumed, or spent

funds going for research

: to slip away : elapse

where did the time go

: to pass by sale

went for a good price

: to become damaged or weakened

my hearing started to go

: to give way under force or pressure : break

the dam went

: to be in general or on an average

cheap, as yachts go

: to become especially as the result of a contest

decision went against us

: to put or subject oneself

go to great expense

: to make use of to settle a dispute : resort

go to court to recover damages

: to begin or continue an action or motion

go when the light turns

drums going strong

: to function properly

get the motor to go

: to be known

goes by a nickname

: to be or act in agreement

a good rule to go by

: to contribute to a result

qualities that go to make a hero

: to be about, intending, or expecting

is going to leave town

: to come or arrive at a certain state or condition

go to sleep

: to come to be

the tire went flat

: to be able to be placed

these clothes will go in your suitcase

: to have a usual or proper place

these books go on the top shelf

: to be capable of being contained in another quantity

5 goes into 60 12 times

: to be likely : tend

goes to show they can be trusted

: to be acceptable or satisfactory

any kind of dress goes

: bet entry 2 sense 1, bid

willing to go $50

: to be as expressed

as the story goes

: to be capable of being sung or played

the tune goes like this

goer noun

2 of 3 noun

plural goes

: the height of fashion

that dress is all the go

: energy sense 1, vigor

full of go

: attempt entry 2 sense 1, try

have a go at it

: a spell of activity

did it in one go

: success sense 1c

make a go of a business

3 of 3 adjective

: in good and ready condition

all systems are go

Last Updated: 17 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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