go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off

intransitive verb

1
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

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.
Think more even heat, better tasting meals, and less chance of smoke detectors going off mid-dinner, among other benefits. Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 26 July 2025 Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images When it was reported last month that Anthropic’s Claude had resorted to blackmail and other self-preservation techniques to avoid being shut down, alarm bells went off in the AI community. Kevin Williams, CNBC, 24 July 2025 When Moody sustained a high ankle sprain making a tackle on a kickoff return — yes, the 49ers coverage unit had failed to do its job — in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, his season went off the rails. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 24 July 2025 The test run in Austin has mostly gone off without a hitch, though there have been a few alarming incidents, such as when a robotaxi went down a lane meant for opposing traffic. Bernard Condon, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for go off

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of go off was in 1579

Cite this Entry

“Go off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20off. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on go off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!