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.
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Recent Examples of go on
Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2026
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed going on adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula leopard dog who also recently died.
—Michael Biesecker, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
The catch is that he’s being stalked by McCone (Lee Pace), a hunter with an impeccable catch-and-kill record, and his psychopathic goons.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for go on
Verb
Cal went almost seven minutes without a field goal as Stanford went on a 16-2 run to lead 29-13.
—Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2026
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed going on adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula leopard dog who also recently died.
—Michael Biesecker, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
But when Theo decides to sell to Dwight instead, Dunmire's goons kill the old man by setting his home ablaze.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Nov. 2025
The catch is that he’s being stalked by McCone (Lee Pace), a hunter with an impeccable catch-and-kill record, and his psychopathic goons.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for go on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for go on
Verb
-
What’s happening in Minneapolis isn’t a policy debate playing out on cable news.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
As often happens during a crisis, the best of intentions can lead to some bad ideas.—
Matthew Kandrach,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As Trump rambled, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood behind him, stony faced, looking at the floor.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Drew Mestemaker threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns while Caleb Hawkins rambled for 186 yards and four scores on 25 carries.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
And then some thug comes along and knocks him over.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The difference comes down to alignment.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Walsh was out of the fold on this night, band leader Don Henley explained to the crowd, due to his coming down with the flu.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Overwhelmingly, though, the most common response was to seek confirmation of their suspicions that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were morons.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
-
What the late Ka did to build resolve against the unforgiving brutalities of Brownsville, Marci combines with the flair of a Bond villain and contempt for anyone attempting to copy his mold.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The situation was the latest test for officials in Austin, a liberal city where distrust of federal immigration agencies runs deep and residents have been rattled by recent events in Minneapolis.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Vrabel adjusted the defense away from a blitz-happy scheme meant to rattle Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And then, the rest of her life, filled with big stupids and everything else, will begin.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Nov. 2025
-
So, the parallel thing that I’ve been frustrated by recently is not just calling Trump stupid, but calling Trump voters stupid.—
Drew Broussard
May 22,
Literary Hub,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Go on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/go%20on. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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