go missing

1 of 3

phrase

chiefly British : to become lost : disappear

missing

2 of 3

adjective

miss·​ing ˈmi-siŋ 

1

: absent

a missing tooth

also : lost

my keys are missing

—sometimes used in the phrase go missing

My keys have gone missing.

2

: needed or expected but not included

It's a good sauce, but something is missing.

see also:

go missing

missing

3 of 3

present participle of miss entry 1

Synonyms of go missing

Adjective

• lost
• gone
• misplaced

Examples of go missing in a Sentence

Adjective

The new director has provided the missing ingredient that was needed for the show's success.

the missing socks turned up in the dog's special hiding place

Recent Examples on the Web

Phrase

McHale was Raymond’s ex-wife and went missing in June 2016 after she was last seen at his home. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 16 Oct. 2026

Earhart went missing on July 2, 1937, while attempting to become the first person to fly around the equator. — Lana Zak, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Mubarak Bekheit, an aid worker in Darfur, told the AP by phone on Wednesday that many people remained missing and some bodies had yet to be recovered from homes in the area after the strike hit a civilian neighborhood. — Yassir Abdalla, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office is looking for an 80-year-old missing woman. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Phrase

1845, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing go missing

• missing in action
• missing link
• missing person report
• someone doesn't know what he/she is missing

Rhymes for go missing

• dismissing
• nipissing
• characterising
• hissing
• kissing
• reminiscing