1
b
: to travel to a place
goes to the office every morning
went to the gas station before heading home
c
: to travel to and stay in a place for a period of time
went to Paris for a month
plan to go to their beach house for the summer
2
3
a
: to take a certain course or follow a certain procedure
reports go through channels to the president
b
: to pass by means of a process like journeying
the message went by wire
c
: to proceed without delay and often in a thoughtless or reckless manner
—used especially to intensify a complementary verb
why did you go and spoil it
go jump in a lake
d(1)
: to extend from point to point or in a certain direction
the road goes to the lake
(2)
: to give access : lead
that door goes to the cellar
4
obsolete
: walk
5
: to be habitually in a certain state or condition
go bareheaded
6
a
: to become lost, consumed, or spent
our time has gone
b
: die
c
: to slip away : elapse
the evening went quickly
d
: to come to be given up or discarded
this clutter has to go
e
: to pass by sale
went for a good price
f
: to become impaired or weakened
his hearing started to go
g
: to give way especially under great force or pressure : break
the roof went
7
8
a
: to apply oneself
went to work on the problem
b
: to put or subject oneself
went to unnecessary expense
c
chiefly Southern US and Midland US
: intend
I didn't go to do it
9
a
: to have recourse to another for corroboration, vindication, or decision : resort
go to court to recover damages
b
: to be guided, governed, or regulated
We were just going by what we'd been told.
The police tried to locate the culprit, but they didn't have much to go on.
: to act in agreement or cooperation
… the echo of my girlfriend's voice comes into my head, saying, "Whatever happens, just go with it."—Jason Schwartzman
10
a
: to begin an action or motion
here goes
b
: to maintain or perform a certain action or motion
still going strong
c
: to function in the proper or expected manner : run
the motor won't go
11
: to be known
goes by an alias
12
a
: to act in accordance or harmony
a good rule to go by
b
: to come to be determined
dreams go by contraries
c
: to come to be applied or appropriated
all proceeds go to charity
d
: to pass by award, assignment, or lot
the prize went to a sophomore
e(1)
: to contribute to an end or result
qualities that go to make a hero
(2)
: to be of advantage
has a lot going for her
13
: to be about, intending, or expecting something
—used in a progressive tense before an infinitive
is going to leave town
14
a
: extend
his knowledge fails to go very deep
b
: to come or arrive at a certain state or condition
go to sleep
" … I finally went to pieces and couldn't stop crying for two hours. … "—Gwendoline Christie
see also go into sense 2 (below)
c
: to come to be : become
the tire went flat
—often used to express conversion to specified values or a specified stategone Hollywood
go condo
d
: to undergo a change
leaves go from green to red
15
a
: to be in phrasing or expression : read
as the story goes
b
: to be capable of being sung or played
the tune goes like this
16
: to be compatible, suitable, or becoming : harmonize
the tie goes with his suit
17
a
: to be capable of passing, extending, or being contained or inserted
will these clothes go in your suitcase
b
: to have a usual or proper place or position : belong
these books go on the top shelf
18
: to have a tendency : conduce
it goes to show
19
a(1)
: to carry authority
what she said went
(2)
: to be acceptable, satisfactory, or adequate
anything goes here
b
: to hold true : be valid
the rule goes for you, too
20
: to empty the bladder or bowels
1
: to proceed along or according to : follow
if I were going his way
went the conventional route
2
: to travel through or along : traverse
went the length of the street
3
4
a
: to assume the function or obligation of
promised to go bail for his friend
b
: to participate to the extent of
decided to go halves on the winnings
6
7
a
: to cause (a characteristic sound) to occur
the gun went bang
b
: say
—used chiefly in oral narration of speech
… I started trying to write a novel. I spent about six months on it. And at a certain point I go, "You know, I don't want to finish this. …"—Quentin Tarantino
8
: to engage in
don't go telling everyone
9
of a sports team or player
: to have a record of
went 11–0 last season
see also to go
plural goes
1
: the act or manner of going
2
: the height of fashion : rage
elegant shawls labeled … "quite the go"—R. S. Surtees
3
: an often unexpected turn of affairs : occurrence
4
: the quantity used or furnished at one time
you can obtain a go of brandy for sixpence—C. B. Fairbanks
7
: a spell of activity
finished the job at one go
8
: success
made a go of the business
9
: permission to proceed : go-ahead
gave the astronauts a go for another orbit
: functioning properly : being in good and ready condition
declared all systems go
often capitalized
: a game played between two players who alternately place black and white stones on a board checkered by 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal lines in an attempt to enclose the larger area on the board
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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