Synonyms

go south

Idioms

Deteriorate or decline, as in The stock market is headed south again. This expression is generally thought to allude to compasses and two-dimensional maps where north is up and south is down. However, among some Native Americans, the term was a euphemism for dying, and possibly this sense led to the present usage. [Slang; first half of 1900s] Also see go west.

Example Sentences

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go south

Most great whites, for instance, go south for the winter to warmer waters near Florida.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

It’s intimidating to see how much you spend, but truly understanding your habits is the only way to build a smart financial plan that survives when things go south.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

Despite those efforts, Israeli officials assess that hundreds of elite Hezbollah fighters were able to go south of the Litani River and join up with other Hezbollah units there after the war with Iran began.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

The final-round trip west has seen English touring hopes go south before.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025

She wasn’t sure of her direction, except that she wanted to go south, away from the river.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

go south

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