go-to
Americannoun
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a reliable person or thing one turns to as a preferred resource, strategy, option, etc..
She’s our go-to for computer advice.
This dish is my go-to when I need something quick for a potluck.
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a person’s standard way of behaving or responding; reflex.
He’s not trying to impress you—that courtly politeness is his go-to with everybody.
adjective
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relied on and turned to as a preferred resource, strategy, option, etc., for a particular purpose.
She’s been the team’s go-to penalty kicker all season.
This is my go-to dictionary.
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being a person’s standard way of behaving or responding; usual or habitual.
When I tell them to get off the computer, their go-to excuse is that they need it for homework.
verb
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to be awarded to
the Nobel prize last year went to a Scot
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to tackle a task vigorously
interjection
adjective
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See going to .
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Also, go toward . Contribute to a result, as in Can you name the bones that go to make the arms and legs? or The director has a good eye for seeing what will go toward an entire scene . [c. 1600]
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Begin, start, as in By the time she went to call, she'd forgotten what she wanted to say . The related idiom go to it means “get started, get going.” P.G. Wodehouse used it in Louder & Funnier (1932): “Stoke up and go to it.” [First half of 1700s]
Etymology
Origin of go-to
First recorded in 1980–85
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.
Her focus is the West Valley, which has emerged as a premier destination for AI data center development—and where she has become the go-to developer and global capital partners staking their claim in the desert.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
With a voice that moved easily from romantic ballads to high-energy numbers, she became the go-to singer for composers across genres and generations.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
That only solidified Kunlun as a go-to choice for facilitating trade with Iran in China’s currency.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
It’s my go-to, and I love that place.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
I’d learned these were things most people accepted, and it was my go-to answer concerning my interests.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
