go off on a tangent

idiom

: to start talking about something that is only slightly or indirectly related to the original subject
She went off on a tangent about what happened to her last summer.

Examples of go off on a tangent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Listen To The Consumer By not listening to customers and what the data shows, companies can potentially go off on a tangent. Claire Stern, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 One of those trigger points was the subject of race in America, which saw Trump once again go off on a tangent that may have included a shot at Kim Kardashian West. Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 25 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'go off on a tangent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near go off on a tangent

Cite this Entry

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

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