1
as in happening
to take place
what in the world is going on in there?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in rambling
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of going on
Bottom line The most likely scenario moving forward has the Oilers activating Walman this weekend, with Regula possibly going on IR.
—
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Jones first rose to prominence during his time as a standout at Syracuse University alongside his younger brother, fellow former NFL star Chandler Jones, from 2006 to 2009, before going on to get drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
This is my first column since going on book leave in May.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
There’s nothing going on outside anyway.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
The same goes for its overall profile, though, there’s a lot going on in its front fascia—the side venting is seemingly there for function, but the massive grille is… a lot.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Instagram is a good place to check up with Jeff Bezos’ new wife and at least get an idea of what’s going on in her life.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2025
West Elm Crescent Stitch Quilt and Shams Set With all the Labor Day sales going on, there’s no better time than now to refresh your home.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
There’s a lot going on in the Taylor Swift fandom right now.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Aug. 2025
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Jones first rose to prominence during his time as a standout at Syracuse University alongside his younger brother, fellow former NFL star Chandler Jones, from 2006 to 2009, before going on to get drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Oct. 2025
This is my first column since going on book leave in May.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
There’s nothing going on outside anyway.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
The same goes for its overall profile, though, there’s a lot going on in its front fascia—the side venting is seemingly there for function, but the massive grille is… a lot.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Instagram is a good place to check up with Jeff Bezos’ new wife and at least get an idea of what’s going on in her life.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 2025
West Elm Crescent Stitch Quilt and Shams Set With all the Labor Day sales going on, there’s no better time than now to refresh your home.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
There’s a lot going on in the Taylor Swift fandom right now.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for going on
Verb
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Even human intelligence will follow, as visual reconnaissance teams view what is happening in other settlements or try to recruit sources who live and work there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Just as the trash from a house can reveal, say, whether the inhabitants are vegetarians, metabolites reveal what’s happening inside the body.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What on Earth was Gabriel rambling on about before, anyway?—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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Roger Naylor shares 10 favorite Arizona destinations from his 50 years of rambling here.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As for borrowing against home equity, lending rates have been coming down slowly.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Zane Wach and his father had ascended the peak by the Mountaineer’s Route but were reportedly coming down via the trail.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There was even a final machination aimed at rattling the Venezuelan president about the pilot’s true loyalties.—
Joshua Goodman,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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McClung has almost singlehandedly revived the Slam Dunk Contest with his imaginative arsenal of rim-rattling highlights, but has yet to consistently crack an NBA rotation.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Getting a bit weird with it, going down these rabbit holes.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
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And so to see this whole thing falling apart, her son going down the tubes, what's going to happen to him, her husband, lie after lie and deception after deception, on top of things that predate the show.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the players were not the only ones running on empty after the contest.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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Mamdani, who is a Democratic Socialist, is running on a make New York affordable platform, which includes a Free Rent Freeze that rifted in earlier polls, a generational difference between older and younger Black voters.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dodgers are expected to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is coming off a masterful Game 2 outing.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The Picture Company is coming off of the eight-time Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown and Studiocanal’s James McAvoy-Julianne Moore thriller Control in post.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Going on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/going%20on. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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