go off

verb

went off; gone off; going off; goes off

intransitive verb

1

: explode

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

Synonyms

• blow
• blow up
• burst
• crump
• detonate
• explode
• pop

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

Fortunately, this shark encounter went off without a hitch, with Annuriy emerging to tell the tale, having faced down her worst nightmare. —Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024

My dad would get ready for work every morning at 4 a.m. when his alarm clock went off. —Grace Bastidas, Parents, 2 July 2024

Prosecutors had long argued that the gun would not have just gone off. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2024

Dua Lipa lit up the Glastonbury Festival on Friday night, not just with the many fireworks that went off during her set. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 28 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

go off

verb

1

: explode sense 2b

2

: to burst forth or break out suddenly or noisily

3

: to take place : proceed

the dance went off as planned