Phrasal verbs with go

Go is about moving away, and many of its phrasal verbs are too: go out, go away, go back. Others are about continuing or happening: go on, go off, go through a hard time.

Practise: 8 questions with answers See all 16 by level

Phrasal verbs with go by level

A1–A27go out, go back, go in
B120go out, go back, go in
B228go out, go back, go in
C1–C23go into

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Each meaning has its own level, from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary, or our estimate (~) where they give none.

A1–A2The first ones to learn 7 meanings

go outgo outA1
leave your home to do something fun
Do you want to go out tonight?
go backgo backA1
return to a place where you were before
I left my phone at the café. I need to go back.
go ingo inA2
enter a room or a building
It’s getting cold. Let’s go in.
go intogo into somethingA2
enter a place
She went into the kitchen to make tea.
go downgo downA2
move to a lower place, like downstairs
Go down the stairs and turn left.
go upgo upA2
move to a higher place, or walk towards someone
Go up the stairs. It’s the first door.
go forgo for somethingA2
go somewhere to do an activity, like a walk or a drink
Let’s go for a walk after lunch.

B1Common, with a clear meaning 20 meanings

go outgo outB1
have a romantic relationship with someone
They went out for two years before they got married.
go outgo outB1
stop burning or shining, for a fire or a light
All the lights went out during the storm.
go backgo backB1
start doing something again, or talk about it again
I woke up at four and couldn’t go back to sleep.
go ingo inB1
fit inside something
These books won’t go in my bag.
go ongo onB1
continue, or last for a period of time
The party went on until three in the morning.
go ongo onB1
happen
What’s going on here?
go ongo onB1
start working, for a light or a machine
The heating goes on at six every morning.
go awaygo awayB1
leave a person or a place
Go away! I’m trying to sleep.
go awaygo awayB1
leave home for some time, usually for a holiday
We’re going away for the weekend.
go awaygo awayB1
disappear, like a pain or a problem
My headache still hasn’t gone away.
go downgo downB1
become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
The price of flights went down in March.
go downgo downB1
disappear below the horizon in the evening, for the sun
The sun goes down at about eight in summer.
go upgo upB1
become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
The price of coffee has gone up again.
go forgo for somethingB1
choose something
I think I’ll go for the fish.
go withgo with somethingB1
look or taste good together with something
Does this tie go with my shirt?
go offgo offB1
leave a place to go somewhere else
He went off without saying goodbye.
go offgo offB1
stop working, for a light or a machine
The lights went off in the whole street.
go overgo overB1
move to a person or place near you, or visit someone
He went over to the window and looked out.
go aroundgo aroundB1
visit someone who lives near you
I’m going around to Sam’s later.
go aheadgo aheadB1
go in front of other people
You go ahead. I’ll catch up with you.

B2Second meanings and more idiomatic ones 28 meanings

go outgo outB2
lose a game and leave a competition
Spain went out in the first round.
go backgo backB2
have existed since a time in the past
This house goes back to the 1700s.
go ingo inB2
be understood and remembered
I read it three times, but it didn’t go in.
go ingo inB2
go behind a cloud, for the sun
The sun’s gone in. It’s getting chilly.
go ongo onB2
continue speaking after a pause, or tell someone to try something
Sorry I stopped you. Please go on.
go downgo downB2
get a good or bad reaction from people
His joke didn’t go down well.
go upgo upB2
be built
New flats are going up all over the city.
go forgo for somethingB2
try hard to get or win something
If you really want the job, go for it!
go forgo for somebody or somethingB2
suddenly attack someone
The dog went for the postman.
go withgo with somethingB2
choose or accept a plan, an idea or a company
Let’s go with Ana’s idea.
go withgo with somebody or somethingB2
be a usual part of something, like a job
Long hours go with being a doctor.
go offgo offB2
start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
My alarm went off at six.
go offgo offB2
become bad and not safe to eat or drink
This milk has gone off.
go offgo off somebody or somethingB2
stop liking someone or something
I’ve gone off coffee lately.
go throughgo through somethingB2
live through a difficult or unpleasant time
She’s going through a hard time at work.
go throughgo through somethingB2
look at or discuss something carefully, part by part
Let’s go through the plan one more time.
go throughgo through somethingB2
use all of something, often quickly
We go through two loaves of bread a week.
go throughgo throughB2
be officially accepted or completed
The sale of the house finally went through.
go overgo over somethingB2
check something carefully, looking for mistakes
Can you go over my CV before I send it?
go overgo over somethingB2
explain or study something again so you understand it
The teacher went over the main points again.
go aroundgo aroundB2
be enough for everyone in a group to have some
Is there enough pizza to go around?
go aroundgo aroundB2
spread from person to person, like an illness or news
There’s a nasty cold going around at school.
go aroundgo aroundB2
often behave in a certain way that others notice
You can’t go around telling people lies.
go aheadgo aheadB2
start or continue doing something you planned
We decided to go ahead with the wedding.
go aheadgo aheadB2
say yes when someone asks to do something
“Can I sit here?” “Sure, go ahead.”
go aheadgo aheadB2
happen as planned
The match will go ahead despite the rain.
go aftergo after somebodyB2
follow or chase someone to catch them or talk to them
The police went after the thief.
go aftergo after somebody or somethingB2
try to get something, like a job or a goal
She’s going after the manager’s job.

C1–C2Less common and more formal 3 meanings

go intogo into somethingC1
start working in a type of job
He wants to go into teaching.
go intogo into somethingC2
talk about or explain something in detail
I don’t want to go into details right now.
go intogo into somethingC1
be used to make or do something, for time, money or work
A lot of work went into this cake.

Phrasal verbs with go that people mix up

Close in meaning, but not the same.

go for or go with?
go for: choose something.
go with: choose, often an idea or a company.
go through or go over?
go through: live through a difficult or unpleasant time.
go over: check or explain something, often more quickly.
go ahead or go on?
go ahead: start or continue doing something you planned.
go on: continue, often after a pause.
go after or go for?
go after: follow or chase someone to catch them or talk to them.
go for: try hard to get or win something.

Phrasal verbs with go: exercise with answers

Eight questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

1You should _____ what you really want.
2He _____ to the window and looked out.
3He didn’t go _____ the promotion this year. (try hard to get or win something)
4Which is correct? (be a usual part of something, like a job)
5The price of flights _____ in March.
6Why did you go into medicine? What does it mean here?
7Temperatures will go _____ to 30 degrees tomorrow. (become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature)
8Does this key _____ that lock?

Phrasal verbs with go: FAQ

How many phrasal verbs with go are there?

Dictionaries list many more, but these 16 are the ones learners meet most, with 58 meanings between them. Each has its own page with examples, common mistakes and a short quiz.

What are the most common phrasal verbs with go?

Start with the A1 and A2 ones: go out, go back, go in, go into, go down, go up. Then the B1 ones, which are common in everyday conversation.

Which phrasal verbs with go are separable?

None of them. The object, if there is one, always comes after the whole phrasal verb.

More phrasal verbs, by group

Or see all of them in the phrasal verbs list.

By main verb

get 19 put 11 take 10 come 15 turn 11golook 13 give 6 run 8 bring 7 fall 6 keep 6

By particle

up 65 out 55 off 24 down 25 on 22 in 21