go-to
Americannoun
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a reliable person or thing one turns to as a preferred resource, strategy, option, etc..
She’s our go-to for computer advice.
This dish is my go-to when I need something quick for a potluck.
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a person’s standard way of behaving or responding; reflex.
He’s not trying to impress you—that courtly politeness is his go-to with everybody.
adjective
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relied on and turned to as a preferred resource, strategy, option, etc., for a particular purpose.
She’s been the team’s go-to penalty kicker all season.
This is my go-to dictionary.
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being a person’s standard way of behaving or responding; usual or habitual.
When I tell them to get off the computer, their go-to excuse is that they need it for homework.
verb
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to be awarded to
the Nobel prize last year went to a Scot
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to tackle a task vigorously
interjection
adjective
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See going to .
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Also, go toward . Contribute to a result, as in Can you name the bones that go to make the arms and legs? or The director has a good eye for seeing what will go toward an entire scene . [c. 1600]
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Begin, start, as in By the time she went to call, she'd forgotten what she wanted to say . The related idiom go to it means “get started, get going.” P.G. Wodehouse used it in Louder & Funnier (1932): “Stoke up and go to it.” [First half of 1700s]
Etymology
Origin of go-to
First recorded in 1980–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It helps to have a short, go-to mantra.
Today, cabbage is still revered for its low price, with cheaper heads of green cabbage currently available for $2.13 to $2.70, making it a go-to vegetable for budget-conscious shoppers.
From Salon
But are our favorite, go-to grocery stores actually giving us the best value?
From Salon
“My go-to recipe is a little bit different than your typical clam chowder,” Matijevich says.
From Salon
Matijevich’s go-to lentils to cook are French green lentils, which are smaller and rounder in size compared to green lentils.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
