go-ahead

1 of 2

adjective

ˈgō-ə-ˌhed 

1

: marked by energy and enterprise : progressive

a vigorous go-ahead company

2

: indicating that one may proceed

go-ahead signal

3

: being a score that gives a team the lead in a game

drove in the go-ahead run

go-ahead

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: energy, spirit

b

: one possessing go-ahead

2

: a sign, signal, or authority to proceed : green light

Synonyms of go-ahead

Noun

• powerhouse

Examples of go-ahead in a Sentence

Noun

a born go-ahead, he was determined to be the first in his family to graduate from college

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After George's go-ahead 3, Vučević missed a potential tying basket at the buzzer. —CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

McDaniel then bypassed what would have been a short go-ahead field goal by Riley Patterson and instead ran Gordon up the middle, a play then lost 2 yards after Jevon Kinlaw shed a block from right guard Cole Strange. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Nov. 2025

Noun

But users aren’t waiting for an official go-ahead, and therapy and companionship is now the top way people are engaging with AI chatbots today, according to an analysis by Harvard Business Review. —Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

In a 34-6 loss to Philadelphia last November, Pro Bowl receiver Lamb lost a ball in the sun on an incompletion that helped keep Dallas from scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the first half. —CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for go-ahead

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead