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
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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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But the affordability backlash is on the brink of exploding in another sector of the economy, where the AI boom is already raising the price of consumer electronics.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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The deals are exploding all over Amazon's Big Spring Sale, and all of the top computer brands are getting in on the action.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After birth, human beings undergo infant and toddler development, moving on to child development before progressing to puberty and adolescence on the way to adulthood.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Times analysis showed that both communities were still progressing well behind the pace of Santa Rosa after the 2017 Tubbs fire, with about half as many permits issued in the Palisades as a percentage of those burned and two-thirds in Altadena in the same period.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Matts is departing the company, a Hallmark spokesperson tells The Hollywood Reporter.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
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Tickets for flights departing later in April were up 24%, to $286, for the airline.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No, a restaurant where conviviality flows like a broken water main, and the food is rich, comforting and detonating with flavor.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
16 Mar. 2026
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Some mines are programmed to ignore the first ship that passes, detonating only on the fifth, just so that the mine-clearing team goes through safely and the tanker behind it takes the hit.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In doing so, a supreme intelligence began to emerge.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, Hall put on late-night shows in the basement of his home and became a popular child magician, earning money by doing his routine at ritzy parties and travelling to magic conventions.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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McBride, making a hustle play midway through the third quarter of Tuesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, grabbed at the same area that required surgery just two months ago before exiting the game for good.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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After swinging around the far side of the moon and exiting the lunar sphere of influence, three small burns will ensure Orion is on the right course for splashdown, with the last one occurring on the 10th day of the flight.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Field of 68 pointed out that each of Duke's last four NCAA Tournament losses came by blowing a double-digit lead.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To meet his growing costs, Meraj had increased the price of a cup of tea from ten rupees to fifteen, a fifty-per-cent rise (in New York terms, like a cup of drip coffee going from just shy of four dollars to nearly six overnight).—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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McDowell is with 916 Community Alliance, going inside underserved community classrooms to help keep the peace.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Going off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/going%20off. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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