go before

phrasal verb

went before; gone before; going before; goes before
1
: to happen or exist at an earlier time than (someone)
We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who went before us.
2
: to be considered by (someone or something) for an official decision or judgment
The contestants will go before the judges tomorrow.
The case went before the court.

Examples of go before in a Sentence

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.
In response, California redrew its map to potentially pick up five seats, although that redrawn map will go before voters on Election Day. Emily Chang, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2025 Some from their cohort had gone before — Paul Newman in 2008, Shelley Duvall in 2024, Gene Hackman in February — while others have simply drifted from view. Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025 More in-depth filings spelling out Combs’ arguments for why his conviction and sentence should be overturned are expected to be submitted to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the coming weeks, where the case will go before a three-judge panel. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025 The proposal passed both chambers of the legislature in August and will go before voters in a special election on November 4. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for go before

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Go before.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20before. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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