go into

verb

went into; gone into; going into; goes into

transitive

1
: to be contained in (something)
5 goes into 60 12 times.
2
a
: 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
b
: 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
3
: to enter (something) as a profession or occupation
She decided to go into law/medicine.
He went into business for himself.
4
: 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.
5
: to talk about especially at length
I'd tell you, but I don't have time to go into it.
6
: to be expended for
Lots of time and money have gone into this.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of go into was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Go into.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20into. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Definition revised
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