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.
"You see it go wrong with Noah and Nick and you see the bad toxic traits that fall out of that. Then you see what you need to resolve the conflict, which is healthy communication."
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
So much can go wrong with sharing bank accounts.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
You can’t go wrong with the guy who already did.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
“There’s so much that could go wrong with it,” Paap said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
Things must not go wrong, this is my chance, and I shall not waste it.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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.
