go-to

American  

[goh-too] / ˈgoʊˌtu /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

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adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

go to British  

verb

1. to be awarded to

   the Nobel prize last year went to a Scot

2. to tackle a task vigorously

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interjection

1. archaic an exclamation expressing surprise, encouragement, etc

adjective

1. 1. (of a person) extremely dependable

      the go-to guy in the team

   2. (of a place) popularly visited

      go-to destinations

go to Idioms  

1. See going to .

2. 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]

3. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of go-to

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

When “ET” executive producer Erin Johnson talks about the curiosities in the vault, her go-to example is a 1987 segment with William Shatner who rode on the back of a whale at Marine World in Vallejo.

From Los Angeles Times

That “consume” has become the go-to descriptor for how we interact with films points to a larger denigration of the medium itself.

From Salon

For instance, Reddit is ChatGPT’s go-to source for consumer electronics, followed by Tom’s Guide and then Wikipedia, according to marketing-software company Semrush.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, get the AI to compare the pros and cons of your go-to path with an option that is the opposite of your usual inclination.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once you get over the hurdle of excessifying your eggs, you’ll have a few go-to recipes that are uniquely yours.

From Salon

Related Words

• approach
• attain
• contact
• end
• go
• join
• lead
• make
• pass
• stand
• strike