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

Guns have a way of going off at inconvenient moments. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025

While Watching Episode 1 of The Baldwins By Emma Specter Bringing a physical gift to the wedding is typically reserved when someone goes off the registry to purchase a wedding gift. —Brooke Bobb, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2025

Here’s where that logic goes off the rails, though. —Brett Owens, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

In the attack on Mr. Kishida, the premier’s security detail rushed him to safety before the bomb went off. —Martin Fackler, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

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