go off on a tangent

phrase

: to start talking about something that is only slightly or indirectly related to the original subject
She went off on a tangent about what happened to her last summer.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Go off on a tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20off%20on%20a%20tangent. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster