1
as in exploding
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
2
as in progressing
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 departing
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
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Recent Examples of going off
The footage shows an alarm going off on an iPhone, with a gray cat instantly jumping up and using its paws to turn it off.
—
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
But the open kitchen concept, with local produce and jars of pickles on display for guests to touch, taste, and smell, makes going off-menu just as enticing—just ask the chef for suggestions.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Kieran Culkin going off script to call out Sean Penn’s no-show — great gear.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
The same alarm that fired when Alex noticed he wasn’t included in lunch plans at work is now going off in a room full of strangers.
—Big Think, 18 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors also played several minutes of surveillance video from the facility, showing fireworks going off along the tree line next to the building.
—Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Republicans see these losses as alarms going off.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Where Dunk’s head is at, going off alone again.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Others, however, took issue with Kimmel’s comments immediately following Kirk’s assassination, and welcomed his show going off the air.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
But the open kitchen concept, with local produce and jars of pickles on display for guests to touch, taste, and smell, makes going off-menu just as enticing—just ask the chef for suggestions.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Kieran Culkin going off script to call out Sean Penn’s no-show — great gear.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
The same alarm that fired when Alex noticed he wasn’t included in lunch plans at work is now going off in a room full of strangers.
—Big Think, 18 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors also played several minutes of surveillance video from the facility, showing fireworks going off along the tree line next to the building.
—Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Republicans see these losses as alarms going off.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Where Dunk’s head is at, going off alone again.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Others, however, took issue with Kimmel’s comments immediately following Kirk’s assassination, and welcomed his show going off the air.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for going off
Verb
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That is, until the union starts not-so-quietly exploding during a vicious screaming match at their home following a fundraising event.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
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When spring is in the air, there’s nothing quite like seeing a garden exploding in seasonal color.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The ongoing test campaign, which now includes multiple aircraft, is progressing rapidly.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
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Everyone on the operations team worked incredibly hard to keep the survey progressing with high efficiency.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite Vance departing Pakistan empty-handed, the mediators are still working to keep open channels of communication between the United States and Iran.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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The blockade started Monday and affects all vessels entering or departing Iranian ports, according to the Pentagon, a move that could cut off one of the regime’s major sources of funding.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And some advanced mines have counters that will let a certain number of ships pass before detonating.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
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Named after the infamous Japanese suicide pilots of World War II, these kinds of drones can actively hunt for targets, track them, and then ram into them, detonating their explosive payloads.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even the Altitude Edition with the black wheels -- at the time no one was really doing that.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The authority on gardening in the South loved doing live shows and meeting his fans.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Across the continent, investors have long cited restrictive or opaque capital control regimes as a deterrent to large-scale commitment, particularly when repatriating profits or exiting investments is uncertain.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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Rosenqvist’s three-second lead was erased when debris on the track exiting the Aquarium Fountain drew the only yellow flag all afternoon and narrowed the gap.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The week will be breezy, with winds blowing 10 mph to 15 mph from the northeast.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Schultz learned a lot going from his first big-league start on Tuesday to his second on Sunday.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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Murray’s route to 30 points was unorthodox, going 0-for-8 from 3-point range but making all 16 of his free throw attempts.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Going off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/going%20off. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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