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
Azhar Sukri,kevin Breuninger,terri Cullen, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026
Meghan and Harry—who last went on a two-day humanitarian trip to Jordan in February—will be spending time in both Sydney and Melbourne during their private tour starting on April 14.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Michaelangelo Matos, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
Now, fresh reporting by the New York Times documents the wild ride that turned a group of crypto goons into a national laughing stock.
—Joe Wilkins Published Feb 5, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for go on
Verb
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images The first round of peace talks between the United States and Iran on Saturday went on well into the evening and face-to-face meetings concluded without the announcement of a resolution.
—Azhar Sukri,kevin Breuninger,terri Cullen, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026
Meghan and Harry—who last went on a two-day humanitarian trip to Jordan in February—will be spending time in both Sydney and Melbourne during their private tour starting on April 14.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
Dance music has had a rough go of it in recent months — from clubs shuttering en masse to event cancellations due to goon-squad invasions of American cities.
—Michaelangelo Matos, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
Now, fresh reporting by the New York Times documents the wild ride that turned a group of crypto goons into a national laughing stock.
—Joe Wilkins Published Feb 5, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for go on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for go on
Verb
-
What happens next Authorities emphasize that the charges are allegations, and Mance is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Spiegel asked to speak to Mengele and alert him of what was happening — a risky decision that saved the boys from death.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the latter two videos, Ivey spoke to the camera while driving his car and rambling through various evangelical talking points.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
This rambling 1,200-acre Southern California ranch has both and much more, plus a supremely private and scenic locale on the outskirts of the historic community of San Juan Capistrano.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pinell’s second film after Kiss and Cry, Shana stars her regular collaborator Éva Huault as a woman in her thirties navigating dead-end jobs, drug deals and an impossible relationship with a toxic thug, Moïse.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the religious gestapo thugs who ran the country were not only committed in the name of Allah to destroying Israel, the Little Satan, and the United States, the Big Satan, but western civilization as well.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shops across the state began restocking shelves almost immediately after the ruling came down on Friday afternoon.—
Briseida Holguin,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
None of the men looked up as my mother came down the museum stairs.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Like a cartoon villain, though, Paula kicks up the edge of the carpet, which causes poor Miriam to make a dog’s dinner of afternoon tea.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Nemesis achieves a lot, introducing a dangerous new villain that even the mighty Asgard fear, while ramping up the tension for a suitably dramatic season finale.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as a great deal of shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Democrats don’t expect that to work, but they’ve been rattled by the GOP’s Youngkin-Spanberger popularity contest.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Go on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/go%20on. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
