1
as in to happen
to take place
what in the world is going on in there?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to ramble
to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point
my, but Aunt Betty does go on about all of her aches and pains
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in idiot
a stupid person
an unfortunate tendency to call those who disagree with him "brainless goons"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the crime boss threatened to send the goons after him if he squealed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 on
Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2026
And this attention to detail and this micromanagement that goes on is really hard for people to understand.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
The recent senseless death of an innocent woman by ICE goons could be the last straw.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for go on
Verb
People likely reevaluate their past romantic experiences as time goes on, a phenomenon that is crucial for understanding survey data like these.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2026
And this attention to detail and this micromanagement that goes on is really hard for people to understand.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
The fear caused by her masked goons and their disregard of due process leaves us citizens afraid to leave their homes.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
The recent senseless death of an innocent woman by ICE goons could be the last straw.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for go on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for go on
Verb
-
The organoids showed cell death, inflammation and glial scarring, closely mimicking what happens in the human body after severe injury.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
-
However, this only happens in a biosphere that’s saturated with life; there is no guarantee that most inhabited planets would have had this occur.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One day in July, Mitchell rambled about his mother’s house when Smart blurted out that Wright lived in the same neighborhood.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Day trips to Amalfi-style Taormina are well-advised for those who have yet to gawp at its clifftop panoramas across the Mediterranean or its film star hotels, as are jaunts to the rambling flea markets and splendidly scruffy trattorias of nearby Catania.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And Davis’s integrity puts him at odds with his longtime fence, Money (Nick Nolte, nice and growly as ever), who responds by enlisting the services of Ormon (Barry Keoghan), a platinum-blond thug on a motorcycle.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The last major character is Ormon (Barry Keoghan), the thug hired by Nolte’s Money to terrorize his former protégé, and to make sure that any robbery ends with the money in the correct pocket (his).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The snow is really coming down in Livigno, so visibility is going to be difficult for the skiers heading down this moguls course.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
-
On February 13th, Grace Van Patten and Jackson White and Grace Gummer and Mark Ronson watched Veronica Leoni’s Calvin Klein Collection come down the runway, while Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector bounded between Fforme and Kallmeyer.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As the now-45-year-old driver was announced at each racetrack in 2025, Hamlin, after years of embracing the role of villain in a sport in desperate need of one, had a heel-turn to the light.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Built into an old limestone quarry, the winery felt like a Bond villain’s secret lair—sleek, subterranean, and wildly impressive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His pursuit of ownership of Greenland, a Danish territory, has also rattled European leaders in recent months.—
Azhar Sukri,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
-
At last year's conference, Vice President JD Vance delivered a combative address that rattled European capitals and fueled fears of an accelerating trans-Atlantic split.—
Olivia Gazis,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There is nothing in the past year that suggests that the portion of this global event that will take place in the U.S. will proceed with anything less than exhausting chaos, a spoonful of stupid, and a dash of tragedy.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Jan. 2026
-
And then, the rest of her life, filled with big stupids and everything else, will begin.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Go on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/go%20on. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
