go off
verb
went off; gone off; going off; goes off
Examples of go off in a Sentence
specialists were able to deactivate the bomb before it went off
the wedding went off without so much as a single glitch
Recent Examples on the Web
The Barton pass went off Vernon, hit a defender and back into Vernon’s hands for the 18 yard score.
—
Kevin Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2023
Were there standout scenes for you where Nicolas Cage went off the page and really took a left turn improvising?
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
Instead, Skinner, 66, went off alone with Clark Anderson, Community Builders’ executive director, to talk over the town’s future — and vent her feelings of disorientation, anger and grief.
—Jonathan Weisman Benjamin Rasmussen, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Aubrey Plaza goes off in her off-Broadway debut, ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’
Aubrey Plaza, fresh off her ‘White Lotus’ success, makes her stage debut off-Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,’ starring opposite Christopher Abbott.
—Jack Herrera, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Thanksgiving went off without a hitch in the Richards-Umansky household.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
Before each zap, a sound goes off which, as a patient, is an opportunity to prepare for the sharp, needle-like laser.
—Essence, 29 Nov. 2023
Alcaraz may have gone off the boil, but the man from the South Tyrol mountain range has scaled the heights in the last fortnight having never beaten Djokovic in their first three singles encounters.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Luckily, the second session went off without any newsworthy accidents.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
Kevin Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2023
Were there standout scenes for you where Nicolas Cage went off the page and really took a left turn improvising?
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
Instead, Skinner, 66, went off alone with Clark Anderson, Community Builders’ executive director, to talk over the town’s future — and vent her feelings of disorientation, anger and grief.
—Jonathan Weisman Benjamin Rasmussen, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Aubrey Plaza goes off in her off-Broadway debut, ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’
Aubrey Plaza, fresh off her ‘White Lotus’ success, makes her stage debut off-Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea,’ starring opposite Christopher Abbott.
—Jack Herrera, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Thanksgiving went off without a hitch in the Richards-Umansky household.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
Before each zap, a sound goes off which, as a patient, is an opportunity to prepare for the sharp, needle-like laser.
—Essence, 29 Nov. 2023
Alcaraz may have gone off the boil, but the man from the South Tyrol mountain range has scaled the heights in the last fortnight having never beaten Djokovic in their first three singles encounters.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Luckily, the second session went off without any newsworthy accidents.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'go off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near go off
Cite this Entry
“Go off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20off. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
go off
verb1
2
: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily
3
: to take place : proceed
the dance went off as planned
More from Merriam-Webster on go off
Nglish: Translation of go off for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of go off for Arabic Speakers
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