go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off

intransitive verb

1

a

: explode

b

of a gun : shoot sense 1

2

: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily

3

: to go forth, out, or away : leave

went off to join the army

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

7

: to stop working

All the lights suddenly went off.

see also go off the deep end, go off with

Synonyms of go off

• 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

In March 2000, Andrea became pregnant with their fifth child and subsequently went off Haldol. —Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

Early evidence suggests these cells may go off course, making fat instead of bone and releasing chemical signals that interfere with the regrowth of blood vessels, which are essential for healing. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026

When the team hit a homer, the thing would go off. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026

Over the last couple of decades, however, it’s gone off the rails. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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