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Synonyms

go about

British  

verb

  1. (adverb) to move from place to place

  2. (preposition) to busy oneself with

    to go about one's duties

  3. (preposition) to tackle (a problem or task)

  4. (preposition) to be actively and constantly engaged in (doing something)

    he went about doing good

  5. to circulate (in)

    there's a lot of flu going about

  6. (adverb) (of a sailing ship) to change from one tack to another

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

go about Idioms  
  1. Also, go around . Move here and there, to and fro; also, circulate. For example, She's been going about telling everyone the news , or A report went around that the dollar was dropping . [c. 1300]

  2. Set about, undertake, as in I'm not sure how to go about making a pie . [Late 1600s]

  3. go about one's business . Proceed with one's own proper occupation or concern. For example, Don't bother with that—just go about your business . [Late 1600s]


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.

See Examples For:

“You get really sick, you think you’re fine, you go about your day, you get sick again, and it keeps going. You keep riding that wave until you get it treated.”

From Slate Jul. 17, 2026

But, she says, you have to be smart in how you go about it.

From MarketWatch Jun. 30, 2026

She said: "We don't want people to feel intimidated as they go about their business and we want people to feel supported."

From BBC Jun. 27, 2026

Any move higher in yields would do the trick, especially as the market grapples with uncertainty about the way new Fed chair Kevin Warsh will go about monetary policy.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

He’d never had a guest before, and he didn’t know how to go about it.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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