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

The plot splits the team up, with Riker (Jonathan Frakes) leading efforts to ensure the flight goes off without a hitch. —Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 30 June 2025

The other parents didn’t let their kids go off in the neighborhood on their own. —Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 29 June 2025

Or would Sweeney dare go off the board with this pick? —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025

Kemp, however, is loud and clear with the young mother, going off on her not only for calling to confront her, but doing so in the middle of the night. —Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 1 July 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