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Synonyms

go-between

American  
[goh-bi-tween] / ˈgoʊ bɪˌtwin /

noun

  1. a person who acts as an agent or intermediary between persons or groups; emissary.

    Synonyms:
    arbitrator, mediator, liaison, envoy, deputy, negotiator, middleman
go-between British  

noun

  1. a person who acts as agent or intermediary for two people or groups in a transaction or dealing

"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

Etymology

Origin of go-between

First recorded in 1590–1600; noun use of verb phrase go between

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.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey on Sunday held talks about trying to end the war in the Middle East, as Islamabad acts as a go-between between the United States and Iran.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

That includes having an attorney figure out your will, set up a foundation and/or trust, and even serve as something of a go-between when dealing with lottery officials.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 22, 2025

Sources also cautioned how it would function with executive chairman Jeff Shi - former sporting director Matt Hobbs almost acted as a go-between previously.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

Here he is the 1919 go-between for Esther Nacht, a 14-year-old Jewish refugee whom he places with the Winslow family as an au pair.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

Ames sat at a window table with Cherkashin and with Sergei Chuvakhin, a legitimate Soviet diplomat who would act as his "cutout," or go-between with the KGB.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Definitions 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.