go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off

intransitive verb

1

: explode

2

: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily

3

: to go forth, out, or away : leave

4

: to undergo decline or deterioration

5

: to follow the expected or desired course : proceed

the party went off well

6

: to make a characteristic noise : sound

could hear the alarm going off

Phrases

go off the deep end

1

: to enter recklessly on a course

2

: to become very much excited

Synonyms

• explode
• detonate
• pop
• blow
• burst

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

From at-a-glance notifications to workout and sleep tracking to emergency SOS alerts in case of an accident, these wrist gadgets are worth considering for going off to college or leading a class full of students. —Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 16 Aug. 2025

Nobody 2 comes out three years to the day since Better Call Saul went off the air. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025

The hiker went off the trail and found the snake, believed to be a timber rattlesnake, a spokesperson for the agency said. —Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2025

After a bit of suspense over whether or not Mrs. Astor would attend, Mrs. Astor showed up as a sign of support, and Bertha's ball went off without a hitch. —Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for go off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

go off

verb

1

: explode sense 2b

2

: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily

3

: to take place : proceed

the dance went off as planned