List of common expressions with "go" with examples. Phrases can be formed as "verb followed by noun" or used as "idioms".
Collocations and idioms with "Go"
Here is the list of common collocations with "go" that you should learn:
1. Go abroad: To go out of the country.
- We should go abroad on holiday this year.
2. Go bad: To spoil something.
- The milk will go bad if it is not kept in the fridge.
3. Go bald: For baldness.
- Many men go bald at an early age.
4. Go bankrupt: To run out of money and bankruptcy.
- The company is about to go bankrupt.
5. Go crazy
A: To become mentally unstable. Typically used hyperbolically.
- I'll end up going crazy if I have to work in this cubicle for one more day!
B: To act in an excited, uninhibited manner; to go wild.
- The audience went crazy when the special guest took the stage.
6. Go fishing: Literally, to go fishing.
- I would like to go fishing this weekend.
7. Go insane: To make you feel crazy.
- If you don’t stop making that noise, I’m going to go (completely) insane!
8. Go on a picnic: Literally, to go for a walk.
- We could go on a picnic today.
9. Go to war: Literally, to go to war.
- We were always told we would never have to go to war.
10. Go about with: To go places and do things with a particular person or group of people.
- I used to go about with those kids, but then they got really into football, and that just doesn't interest me at all.
11. Go (all) around the houses: To waste one's time and energy saying unimportant things before getting to one's point.
- Doc, please stop going around the houses and just tell me—how serious are Johnny's injuries?
12. Go (in) for the kill
A: Literally, to approach someone or something with the intent of killing it.
- The lion went in for the kill when it saw the injured antelope.
B: By extension, to approach someone or something with the intent to achieve a particular outcome.
- If someone finally shows interest in buying the house, I'm sure our realtor will go for the kill.
13. Go a bit far: To do something to a drastic, inappropriate, or excessive degree.
- My brother teases me all the time, but he went a bit far when he started mocking my girlfriend too.
14. Go a different way
- There were some suspicious figures slinking about in the shadows, so we decided to go a different way home.
- I know, I really thought we would get funding for this project, but the board just decided to go a different way.
15. Go a long way toward: To be particularly helpful or useful in achieving some action or goal.
- You know, apologizing would go a long way toward mending your friendship with John.
16. Go a purler: To fall in an especially clumsy or violent manner, often headfirst. (A "purler" is such a fall.)
- If you're not careful walking on that ice, you'll go a purler!
17. Go a-begging: To become or remain unused, unclaimed, unfilled, or unwanted, especially a job or product.
- You'd think in this economy that we could fill the IT Director position immediately, but the job has gone a-begging.
18. Go back to the salt mines: To resume one's job or daily work, especially when it is very hard or unpleasant. (Workers in salt mines were often slaves and prisoners.) Sometimes used humorously.
- I'm not excited to go back to the salt mines on Monday.
19. Go abroad and you'll hear news of home: Proverb Once one is no longer at home, one becomes more interested or invested in news of home and family as it circulates second-hand.
- "Are you sure that Sir Gregory is selling the estate?" "Indeed. Go abroad and you'll hear news of home, my good man."
20. Go above and beyond: To act in a way that exceeds expectations or requirements.
- The young officer went above and beyond when he repaired the old woman's home so that the township wouldn't condemn it.
21. Go across (something) to (someone or something): To traverse something and reach someone or something on the other side.
- We need to go across the river to Mom and Dad.
22. Go against the stream: To act or behave in opposition or contrary to what is generally understood, assumed, practiced, or accepted.I really went against the stream when I was in college with some radical opinions, but as I've grown older I have found myself falling more in line with other people's way of thinking.
- I really went against the stream when I was in college with some radical opinions, but as I've grown older I have found myself falling more in line with other people's way of thinking.
23. Go all out: To put forth the utmost amount of energy, effort, enthusiasm, and/or resources (toward some task or action).
- "You'll be going against a state champion in the next match, so you'll have to go all out if you want to beat her!"
24. Go along for the ride: To attend some event or participate in some activity without playing an active or central role in the proceedings.
- John's receiving an award for his work overseas tonight, so I thought I'd go along for the ride.
25. Go ape
A:To become wildly or uncontrollably angry. Slang
- My parents went totally ape when they found out I'd wrecked the car!
B: To become extremely excited or enthusiastic (about something). Slang
- I've never understood that pop star's popularity, but kids just go ape over her music.
26. Go (a)round in circles: To waste one's time and energy engaging in trivial, aimless, or futile activities and failing to make any progress as a result.
- I tried to get an outline drafted for my thesis, but my ideas were so jumbled in my head that I just kept going round in circles.
27. Go away empty-handed: To return from an experience or event without having gained anything.
- I worked so hard to prepare for the competition, and I still went away empty-handed, thanks to another fourth-place finish.
28. Go for the burn: To push oneself to exercise more intensely (which will often cause one to experience a burning sensation in the muscles).
- We're going to pick up the pace now, everybody! Come one, go for the burn!
29. Go from zero to hero: To change an outcome, one's situation, or oneself from being particularly unsuccessful, negative, unfortunate, or unpopular to being especially successful, positive, fortunate, or popular.
- After his parents won the lottery, John went from zero to hero in his high school overnight.
30. Go gangbusters: To happen with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Primarily heard in US.
- When I presented the case to my students, they went gangbusters to try to solve the mystery.
31. Go from strength to strength: To gradually become more successful.
- The firm's gone from strength to strength since the new factory was built.
32. Go down the pan: To fail or be completely and irreversibly squandered, lost, or destroyed. Primarily heard in UK.
- In an instant, we saw all our hopes for our business go down the pan.
33. Go down on (one's) knees: Literally, to kneel down.
- The priest finished speaking, and the congregation went down on their knees.
34. Go down memory lane: To reminisce over memories of past events, especially happy ones.
- My grandmother spends more time going down memory lane these days than talking about the present.
35. Go cap in hand (to someone): To ask someone for help, often monetary, with embarrassment. Primarily heard in UK.
- I don't have enough money for rent this month, so I guess I'll just have to go cap in hand to my parents.
36. Go down the rabbit hole: To enter into a situation or begin a process or journey that is particularly strange, problematic, difficult, complex, or chaotic, especially one that becomes increasingly so as it develops or unfolds. (An allusion to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.)
- I've stayed away from drugs and alcohol since coming to college. I have an addictive personality, so I decided to just avoid going down that rabbit hole altogether.
37. Go from rags to riches: To rise from poverty to great or exceptional wealth.
- My uncle has truly gone from rags to riches. He grew up without a penny, but through sheer determination, he founded his own company and is now one of the wealthiest men in the state.
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