go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off
Synonyms of go offnext

intransitive verb

1
a
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.

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
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.
The official review determined that the ball went off Reaves, giving the Thunder the ball with six minutes and 35 seconds left. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 The Alarms Signal That the System Is Working When the terrain alert went off in the cockpit on takeoff, my first instinct was to assume something was wrong. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026 Salazar said the shipping containers can only be opened from the outside, and that sensors go off when they are opened. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 May 2026 De Cuyper should have completed a hat-trick of assists in the opening 14 minutes against Wolves, but Mitoma missed the target from his pass before the Japan international went off in the second half with a hamstring injury. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for go off

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of go off was in 1560

Cite this Entry

“Go off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20off. Accessed 14 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

go off

verb
1
2
: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily
3
: to take place : proceed
the dance went off as planned

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