go-ahead
noun
Usually the go-ahead permission or a signal to proceed.
go-ahead
American
[goh-uh-hed]
/ ˈgoʊ əˌhɛd /
noun
-
go-aheads
plural
-
Usually the go-ahead permission or a signal to proceed.
They got the go-ahead on the construction work.
-
Baseball. Usually the go-ahead go-ahead run.
With two outs, and the go-ahead on first, Hoffman winds up and delivers the pitch.
-
Chiefly Hawaii and California. a sandal held on the foot by a strap between the big toe and the next toe.
adjective
-
moving forward; advancing.
-
a go-ahead Yankee peddler.
go ahead
British
verb
noun
adjective
go ahead
Idioms
-
Move forward rapidly or act without restraint; also, continue something. For example, If you want to borrow the tractor, go ahead . This expression is often put as go ahead with , as in Are you going ahead with the house party? The term dates from the mid-1600s and gave rise to give the go-ahead , meaning “give permission to move or act in some way.”
-
go ahead of . Make one's way to the front of, as in They went ahead of me to see the purser . [Mid-1700s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of go-ahead
An Americanism first recorded in 1830–40; noun and adjective use of verb phrase go ahead
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:
Bauers delivered the knockout blow in Milwaukee’s 6-2 victory on Wednesday, smashing a go-ahead, two-run home run off ace Blake Snell to give the Brewers a lead they would never relinquish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
In the sixth, against Dodgers right-hander Brock Stewart, Contreras singled in the go-ahead run in a traffic-filled inning that included a Freeman error on a muffed pickoff attempt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Court proceedings ended in the early hours of Sunday morning, with the parade given the go-ahead.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Shell CEO Wael Sawan says the investment go-ahead reflects confidence in Canada as a place to invest and do business for the long-term.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The government gave the go-ahead that the tournament take place.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
In winter, "pupils are forced to keep their coats on," he said, while summer heatwaves have raised questions about whether end-of-year exams can go ahead.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
"For those 11 residents' groups dug up from the 1990s to threaten parades, go ahead, go ahead, open them all up," Bryson added.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The Parades Commission had ruled that the march, on Sunday 27 September, could go ahead with restrictions in place.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
"As a result, the procession cannot go ahead as it was determined."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Gum Baby gonna just sit here and watch, but you go ahead and do the most.”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
If they can secure the zoning approval and the go-aheads from the community advisory board and gaming commission, they will then have to pay at least a $500 million license fee to the state.
From New York Times ● May 2, 2022
After my recent column on different synonyms for flip-flops — zories, go-aheads, thongs, etc. — readers wrote in to share terms they learned growing up.
From Washington Post ● May 5, 2021
But church officials say their own plan is “shovel ready,” awaiting formal go-aheads from city and state financing agencies.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2010
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
