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Synonyms

go at

British  

verb

  1. to make an energetic attempt at (something)

  2. to attack vehemently

"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 at Idioms  
  1. Attack, especially with energy; also, proceed vigorously. For example, The dog went at the postman's legs, or Tom went at the woodpile, chopping away. This idiom is sometimes put as go at it, as in When the audience had settled down, the lecturer went at it with renewed vigor. [First half of 1800s]


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.

Leung has three projects on the go at the moment -- a film with Hong Kong director Johnnie To, a production set in India and a streaming series.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

"I can just go at everything and play free golf like I do at home and it's more fun."

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

If Joel needed to run to Home Depot or fill his car up with gas, he’d go at night, when it seemed raids weren’t going on.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

With 39 dealers across the country, Lotus is the rare exception of a Chinese-owned car brand having a go at the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Still and all, why couldn’t Aunt Loma just be nice and compliment me and let it go at that without saying what I had to be.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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