go against
phrasal verb
went against; gone against; going against; goes against
1
: to not agree with (something)
I won't do anything that goes against my conscience/beliefs/principles.
values that go against those of society
2
: to oppose (someone or something)
He was surprised when some of his former supporters went against him.
He was reluctant to go against his parents' wishes.
3
: to compete against (a player or team) in a contest or game
The Red Sox will be going against the Yankees in tonight's game.
4
: to not be good for (someone) : to not produce the result that is wanted by (someone)
Everything seemed to be going against her but she didn't give up hope.
The verdict went against the defendant.
Examples of go against in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sabalenka faced Naomi Osaka, while Kyrgios went against Tommy Paul.
—
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Throughout the season, and especially on the road, Celebrini and his line have usually had to go against the opposing team’s top defense pair.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
If adopted, that recommendation would go against widespread consensus among public health experts, who before the meeting issued loud pleas not to change the hepatitis B vaccination schedule.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
The majority agreed to sell the land, but Fiona goes against their wishes, refusing to sell any of her land to Constance.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for go against
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.
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Throughout the season, and especially on the road, Celebrini and his line have usually had to go against the opposing team’s top defense pair.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025
If adopted, that recommendation would go against widespread consensus among public health experts, who before the meeting issued loud pleas not to change the hepatitis B vaccination schedule.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
The majority agreed to sell the land, but Fiona goes against their wishes, refusing to sell any of her land to Constance.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for go against
Cite this Entry
“Go against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20against. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share