go-to

1 of 3

adjective

ˈgō-ˌtü 

1

informal : relied on and regularly turned to for expert knowledge, skill, or performance

the company's go-to guy

Brown became the go-to researcher for genetic conundrums.

—Brad Lemley

Nowadays, one running back will get almost all of the carries, one reliever will get nearly all of the saves. And in the NBA, the evidence is mounting that "go-to guys" are scoring an ever greater proportion of the points in any particular game.

—Steve Hirdt

2

informal : regularly or repeatedly chosen or employed for reliably good results

O'Neal's go-to move has become a soft jump hook, which he can shoot with either hand.

—Chris Ballard

While mozzarella may be the go-to cheese for pizza, … blue cheese … can also be great.

—Sam Gugino

A waitress came by and Reacher ordered his go-to breakfast, which was coffee plus a short stack of pancakes with eggs, bacon, and maple syrup.

—Lee Child

go-to

2 of 3

noun

plural go-tos also go-to's

: someone or something that is regularly or repeatedly chosen or employed for reliably good results

A neat pour of rye whiskey is usually my go-to after making cocktails all night; they have a great selection to choose from.

—Sarah Troxell

I would say I get my style inspiration definitely from like that old, Hollywood classic look. I love Audrey Hepburn—she's my go-to.

—Laura McKinney

… cable channels such as Animal Planet, National Geographic and, especially, HGTV have become the go-tos for most waiting rooms.

—Kevyn Burger

She styled four ultra-chic looks for the new season, combining both winter go-to's and some on-trend pieces for spring.

—GoodMorningAmerica.com

go to

3 of 3

verb

went to; gone to; going to; goes to

intransitive verb

1

archaic

—used interjectionally as an exhortation

and they said one to another, go to, let us make brick

—Genesis 11:3 (King James Version)

2

archaic

—used interjectionally to express disapproval or disbelief

go to, go to; you have known what you should not

—William Shakespeare

Examples of go-to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Now available for just $90 in the perfect honey-brown leather hue, these shoes are about to become your go-to for the summer and even well into the fall. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2024

The One Direction alum’s latest set is influenced by his love of Willie Nelson and Chris Stapleton, and is even co-helmed by the latter artist’s go-to producer Dave Cobb. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 22 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1984, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1997, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1