go /; AmE / verb, noun

■ verb [no obj] (goes /; AmE / went // gone /; AmE ; /)

1

when money goes, it is spent or used for sth:

5% of the profits went on repairs.

The money will go to finance new research.

I don't know where the money goes!

Most of my salary goes on the rent.

2

to be sold:

The firm went to an Italian group for €400m.

This model currently goes for $1 895.

It is going cheap (= being sold cheaply).

3

(about jobs, opportunities, etc.) to disappear or no longer exist:

If the merger happens then 250 jobs will go.

If you don't take the job abroad now, the opportunity will be gone for ever.

4 (informal) be going

to be available:

There just aren't any jobs going in this area.

5

(about a machine, economy, etc.) to work or function properly:

They're trying to get the economy going again.

6

to leave a place or an organization:

The current chief executive has finally agreed to go (= to leave his job).

7 (usually used with an adjective)

to become different in a particular way:

to go global/national

to go bankrupt

We've gone from being a loss-maker to being a money-maker.

The project went wrong because of lack of planning.

IDIOMS

NOTE Most idioms containing go are at the entries for the nouns, verbs or adjectives in the idioms, for example go from strength to strength is at strength.

go all out for sth; go all out to do sth

to make a very great effort to get sth or do sth:

We continue to go all out to meet our own higher expectations.

go it alone

to do sth without help from anyone:

Andrew decided to go it alone and start his own business.

go plural (informal)

to leave an important job that you do for all the hours of the working week and take several less important jobs for shorter hours

DOWNSHIFT

go through the roof

(about prices, etc.) to rise or increase very quickly:

House prices here have gone through the roof.

PHRASAL VERBS

go after sb/sth

to try to get sb/sth:

We're both going after the same job.

The bank was hoping to go after the customers of its rivals.

go ahead

to happen; to be done:

The building of the new offices will go ahead as planned.

SYN PROCEED ⇨ GO-AHEAD

go ahead (with sth)

to begin to do sth, especially when sb has given permission or has expressed doubts or opposition:

‘May I start now?' ‘Yes, go ahead.'

Due to falling sales, they decided not to go ahead with plans for the new factory.

go along with sb/sth

to agree with sb/sth:

I do not go along with his views on the EU.

They refused to go along with the deal.

go down

1

to become lower or smaller:

The price of oil is going down.

Oil is going down in price. See note at INCREASE

2

to stop working temporarily:

The system is going down in ten minutes.

⇨ CRASH

go for sth

1

to try hard to get or achieve sth:

It sounds a great idea. Go for it!

We're going to go for growth.

2

to choose sth; to be persuaded that sth is a good idea:

Shoppers are going for the cheap options.

It's a great idea, but customers won't go for it.

go forward (with sth)

to continue with a plan, project, etc:

Prices will rise if either of the deals goes forward.

He has decided not to go forward with the acquisition.

go in with sb (informal)

to join sb in starting a business:

My brothers are opening a garage and they want me to go in with them.

go into sth

1

to start working in a particular field or for a particular organization, especially in order to have a career in it:

After graduating, she went into corporate law.

‘Why would anyone go into this business?' ‘To make money fast.'

2

to examine sth carefully:

We need to go into the question of costs.

3

(about money, time, effort, etc.) to be spent on sth or used to do sth:

A lot of money has gone into the project.

Years of work went into researching the book.

go on to sth

to pass from one item to the next:

Let's go on to the next item on the agenda.

go over sth

to examine or check sth carefully:

We went over the contract several times in case we had forgotten something.

go over to sth

to change from one idea, method, habit, technology, etc. to another:

Our office has recently gone over to a flexitime system.

go through

if a law, contract, etc. goes through, it is officially accepted or completed:

If both deals go through, Citibank would become the single largest shareholder.

go through sth

1

to look at or examine sth carefully, especially in order to find sth:

She went through the company's accounts, looking for evidence of fraud.

I always start the day by going through my emails.

2

to perform a series of actions; to follow a method or procedure:

All new staff go through an orientation program.

There's a lengthy process you have to go through to get a company ready for sale.

3

to experience or suffer sth:

We are going through an economic downturn.

The industry goes through cycles and there will be a correction.

go through with sth

to do what is necessary to complete a course of action, especially one that is difficult or unpleasant:

They decided not to go through with the planned merger.

go to sb/sth

to be given to sb/sth:

All the proceeds from the concert (= the money received from selling tickets, etc.) will go to charity.

Most of the money will go to his lawyer.

go towards sth

to be used as part of the payment for sth:

The money will go towards developing the business.

go under (informal)

to become bankrupt (= be unable to pay what you owe):

The firm will go under unless business improves.

See note at BANKRUPT

go up

1

to become higher or larger:

The price of cigarettes is going up.

Cigarettes are going up in price. See note at INCREASE

2

to be built:

New offices buildings are going up everywhere.

go with sth

1

to be included with or as part of sth:

A car goes with the job.

There's a big advantage that goes with being first on the market.

2

to accept or choose sth, for example a plan or an offer:

You're offering $5 000? I think we can go with that.

If we had gone with PCs, in five years we'd need to replace them all.

■ noun [C] (plural goes //)

IDIOMS

be a go (AmE) (informal)

See also | GO-GO, PAY-AS-YOU-GO, STOP-GO

to be planned and possible or allowed:

We're still not sure if the project is a go.

The financial analysis will show if the business is a go or a no-go.

be on the go (also be on the move) (informal)

to be very active and busy:

I've been on the go all day.

make a go of sth (informal)

to be successful in sth:

We've had a few problems, but we're both determined to make a go of this business.

• salesroom
• sales slip
• sales subsidiary
• sales tax
• sales turnover
• sales volume
• salutation
• salvage
• salvage money
• salvage value
• salvage yard
• same-day
• same-store sales
• sample
• sampler
• sampling
• sampling fraction
• sampling frame
• sanction
• s and h
• sandwich board
• sandwich course
• Saran wrap™
• SARL
• SASE