go with the flow

Idioms

Also, go with the tide. Move along with the prevailing forces, accept the prevailing trend, as in Rather than striking out in new directions, I tend to go with the flow, or Pat isn't particularly original; she just goes with the tide. The flow in the first and more colloquial term, which dates from the late 1900s, alludes to the ebb and flow of tides and probably gained currency because of its appealing rhyme.

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.

And once comprehending, shall he go with the flow?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

While you want to go with the flow, it seems like you don’t trust the maid of honor to finalize the trip details.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

Yet there’s equal incentive to surrender, to go with the flow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

"But if we become complacent and go with the flow, that's when Pokémon will go downhill."

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025

I go with the flow toward my locker.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

go with the flow

Example Sentences

Related Words