go off

1
as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure specialists were able to deactivate the bomb before it went off

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of go off The four big screens on the pitch show the pre-match entertainment, there are fireworks going off just next to them. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 1 June 2025 People could go off to work in factories and earn a decent middle-class wage. David Brooks, Mercury News, 31 May 2025 The screen cuts to black as the gun goes off again, leaving audiences to question what the hell is going to happen next. Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 May 2025 This week it was reported that sirens did not go off as deadly tornadic storms moved through the city of St. Louis. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for go off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for go off
Verb
  • Sudan plunged into civil war on April 15, 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country.
    Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 31 May 2025
  • Things quickly turned ugly as Martha’s jealousy of Ida exploded.
    Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • Whether Arsenal’s interest progresses will be determined by their key decision-makers.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Some neurological issue that will progress quickly.
    Greta Morgan June 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • This blunt attribution departs from the more generalized threat descriptions of previous administrations.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House on June 6 in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House on June 6 in Washington, D.C.
    Sonam Sheth Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • At the same moment, Paul presses the button on a remote and detonates a bomb in O’Hara’s office, killing his men there.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 1 June 2025
  • An attacker opened fire on the Israeli Consulate in Munich in September, and two months later grenades were detonated near the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen.
    Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • One of his owners, Craig Leipold, did, back in January.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • Trump and his allies are doing their best to rule through systematic intimidation.
    Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • That’s what happened in 2008, the last time the BOJ tried to exit its deflation-era policy framework.
    William Pesek, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • The topic of Ventura surfaced in those discussions, during which Clark disclosed her earlier comments urging Ventura to exit the relationship.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • The stock popped more than 4.5% on Thursday, and Nvidia, with a $3.4 trillion market cap, is the most valuable company in the world — just ahead of Microsoft (MSFT) and now well ahead of Apple (AAPL).
    Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 29 May 2025
  • Beginning with Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom, July 12–13, the immersive experiences will also pop up at Lollapalooza stops in Chicago, July 31 – August 3, The Town 2025 in São Paulo, Lollapalooza India in Mumbai and Lollapalooza Brazil.
    Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • The first half of the film proceeds essentially as a play for four characters.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
  • The appeal -- as well as the ongoing appeal of Trump's $83 million judgment in the E. Jean Carroll civil case and half-billion-dollar civil fraud case -- is proceeding on uncharted legal grounds as Trump wields the power of the presidency in his defense.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 30 May 2025

Cite this Entry

“Go off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/go%20off. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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