1
as in explodes
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in progresses
to move forward along a course
the wedding went off without so much as a single glitch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in exits
to leave a place often for another
don't go off without telling us where we can find you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 goes off
An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Once your timer goes off, leave the oven door closed and set a new timer for 45 minutes.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
This time the ball goes off Wan'Dale Robinson and into the arms of Theo Johnson who runs all the way to the end zone.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
When his master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), dies, Dunk knights himself Ser Duncan the Tall and goes off to compete in the tourney at Ashford Meadow to earn some coin, setting in motion certain events that will have ripple effects for the larger world.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
No concerns are raised, and the scheme goes off without a hitch.
—Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
When an alarm goes off, is snoozed, or is stopped.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Frimpong, who is expected to deputise wide on the right when Salah goes off to the Africa Cup of Nations in December, is 24.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Suddenly, in this endless stretch of sameness, a siren goes off.
—Carmen Maria MacHado, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Once your timer goes off, leave the oven door closed and set a new timer for 45 minutes.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
This time the ball goes off Wan'Dale Robinson and into the arms of Theo Johnson who runs all the way to the end zone.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
When his master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), dies, Dunk knights himself Ser Duncan the Tall and goes off to compete in the tourney at Ashford Meadow to earn some coin, setting in motion certain events that will have ripple effects for the larger world.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
No concerns are raised, and the scheme goes off without a hitch.
—Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
When an alarm goes off, is snoozed, or is stopped.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Frimpong, who is expected to deputise wide on the right when Salah goes off to the Africa Cup of Nations in December, is 24.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Suddenly, in this endless stretch of sameness, a siren goes off.
—Carmen Maria MacHado, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goes off
Verb
-
And rents, until recently, had jumped as demand for rentals explodes – because so few homes have been on the market.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
-
After Paul causes a boating accident that kills a young woman, the family explodes.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the reality for him, fairly or unfairly, is that if some of the habits persist, the smoke may turn to fire as the season progresses.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
As the show progresses, flashbacks also reveal parts of many of the characters' pasts.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Yet even as deal activity and exits start to increase, fundraising from institutional investors continues to fall due to a lack of distributions and poor performance in many funds.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
-
As the former Prince Andrew exits his royal residence, Queen Elizabeth II's beloved corgis will still have a home.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Brother Dusk detonates explosives that shatter the cryonic chamber of Cleon clones, bodies raining down in blood and glass, before plucking a single embryo from the wreckage to bait Demerzel’s deepest programming.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Determined to finish the job, Dante detonates explosives on the dam itself.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Manow does a bump of K on the table to relax while Clateman shows me a high-tech nicotine vape that displays music videos and also rates the intensity of your hits with a numerical score.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The point of Generative AI is the tech does the bulk of the work on its own.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As Kennedy departs, FN’s 2025 Company of the Year has appointed Justin Cupps as president of Wolverine Worldwide’s Work Group.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
5 Nov. 2025
-
As Lorenzen departs, the Royals will reshape their starting rotation.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Pull the linguistic thread a little further, and the word pops up as a mark of frustration.—
L. Carol Ritchie,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Not so in Canada, as the Blackhawks star pops up in commercials pretty frequently — including a CIBC ad with none other than Connor McDavid, which seems to be running on a loop north of the border.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
And Biltmore Estate goes above and beyond on the festive front.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The first shift after all the previous staff shakeups goes surprisingly well.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Goes off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goes%20off. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share