go wrong
Americanphrase
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to malfunction; to interfere with a process so that it fails (usually used with the indefinite subject something).
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to take an incorrect path or turn so as to become lost.
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to make an unwise choice or decision or apply faulty logic, leading to a bad conclusion or course of action.
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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.
He explains that there's a lot that can go wrong when trying to marry recyclable paper packaging with a compatible sealant.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
But last week’s construction disaster at Berman’s most ambitious project to date—turning the former Pfizer headquarters in Midtown Manhattan into 1,600 apartments—is raising questions about what can go wrong in complex conversions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Dodd-Frank Act also showed that, eventually, the public and their representatives will demand more transparency when things go wrong.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Maybe sail across the Aegean … what could go wrong?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
“I don’t know, Harry, I don’t know....There are an awful lot of things that could go wrong, so much relies on chance....”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
