go wrong
Idioms-
Go astray, make a mistake. For example, We made a left turn and somehow went wrong from then on , or You won't go wrong if you follow the directions in the dress pattern . [c. 1300]
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Take to evil ways, become a criminal, as in As soon as he turned thirteen, Billy fell in with a gang and began to go wrong . [c. 1500]
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Fail, turn out badly, as in Everything about this party has gone wrong . [Late 1500s]
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Fail to work properly, as in The car starts fine, but as soon as you put it in gear, the transmission goes wrong . [Late 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.
“But you get to understand why these micro decisions go wrong, why they take Jack in the wrong direction and ultimately destroy the island.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Thousands of things can go wrong when you try to capitalize on a good thing, especially 20 years on, when expectations have never been higher.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
In the eyes of the pros, the “little guy” is easily sold on the latest racket, and prone to panic when things go wrong.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
"People were quite scandalised, nervous, terrified about the possibility of what could potentially go wrong - bringing 50 lions to the Wiltshire countryside."
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“You know, if I wanted someone to illustrate for me all the ways that this could go wrong, I’d just tell my parents.”
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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.
