go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off
Synonyms of go offnext

intransitive verb

1
a
b
of a gun : shoot sense 1
2
: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily
3
: to go forth, out, or away : leave
went off to join the army
4
: to undergo decline or deterioration
5
: to follow the expected or desired course : proceed
The party went off well.
6
: to make a characteristic noise : sound
could hear the alarm going off
7
: to stop working
All the lights suddenly went off.

Examples of go off in a Sentence

specialists were able to deactivate the bomb before it went off the wedding went off without so much as a single glitch
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The first leg went off under strange circumstances. Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026 Nathan Bastian used Avs defenseman Josh Manson as a screen on the initial shot, which went off the right post. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026 Kieran Culkin going off script to call out Sean Penn’s no-show — great gear. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026 Johnson also went frame-by-frame through Whyte’s bodycam footage, trying to establish that Rosen reached into the car toward Rivera before the first shot went off. John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for go off

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of go off was in 1560

Cite this Entry

“Go off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20off. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

go off

verb
1
2
: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily
3
: to take place : proceed
the dance went off as planned

More from Merriam-Webster on go off

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