go for

verb

went for; gone for; going for; goes for

transitive

1

: to pass for or serve as

Silvered glass once went for mirrors.

2

: to try to secure or attain (something, such as a goal)

go for the prize

Stop hesitating and just go for it.

3

a

: to accept or agree to

I asked for a loan, but they wouldn't go for it.

b

: to have an interest in or liking for

doesn't go for modern art

She went for him in a big way.

—Chandler Brossard

I could go for [=would like] a cup of coffee.

4

: attack, assail

My dog went for the intruder.

5

: to hold true : be valid

The rules go for you, too.

Examples of go for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This year’s All-Star Game shows how much the W has going for it right now. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2026

What Rick and Morty had going for it, at its best, was conceptual inspiration, the ability to take a kernel of an idea and stretch it to the creative limit and beyond. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

More recently, nominations for Judd Hirsch in The Fabelmans and Isabella Rossellini in Conclave are reminders that the Academy will still go for a brief role if the performance is strong and members like the actor. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 24 July 2026

The same goes for Louis, a linebacker who’s a bit undersized yet possesses rare coverage skills. — Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for go for

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore