go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off

intransitive verb

1
2
: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily
3
: to go forth, out, or away : leave
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
Phrases
go off the deep end
1
: to enter recklessly on a course
2
: to become very much excited

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But a bomb goes off when Grove tries to enter his car. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024 Shaun DuBois, a spokesperson for Phoenix fire, said firefighters were dispatched to the six-story building at around 9:30 a.m. after a fire alarm went off on the building's third floor. Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024 The flight from San Francisco to New York in November 2023 went off without a hitch. Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024 Thank God everything went off without any problems. Jaime Jarrín, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for go off 

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of go off was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near go off

Cite this Entry

“Go off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20off. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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