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Synonyms

go-ahead

American  
[goh-uh-hed] / ˈgoʊ əˌhɛd /

noun

  1. Usually the go-ahead permission or a signal to proceed.

    They got the go-ahead on the construction work.

  2. Baseball. Usually the go-ahead go-ahead run.

    With two outs, and the go-ahead on first, Hoffman winds up and delivers the pitch.

  3. Chiefly Hawaii and California. a sandal held on the foot by a strap between the big toe and the next toe.

adjective

  1. moving forward; advancing.

  2. enterprising.

    a go-ahead Yankee peddler.
go ahead British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to start or continue, often after obtaining permission

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. informal permission to proceed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. enterprising or ambitious

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
go ahead Idioms  

  1. Move forward rapidly or act without restraint; also, continue something. For example, If you want to borrow the tractor, go ahead . This expression is often put as go ahead with , as in Are you going ahead with the house party? The term dates from the mid-1600s and gave rise to give the go-ahead , meaning “give permission to move or act in some way.”

  2. go ahead of . Make one's way to the front of, as in They went ahead of me to see the purser . [Mid-1700s]

Etymology

Origin of go-ahead

An Americanism first recorded in 1830–40; noun and adjective use of verb phrase go ahead

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.

The deal is expected to close the end of the year, subject to the go-ahead from Boralex’s shareholders and certain regulatory approvals,

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

In the back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Lakers blinked first as Doncic missed a go-ahead jumper with 12 seconds left.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The final investment decision on whether Hyphen's multi-billion-dollar project gets the go-ahead is due by the end of 2026.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 24 points but missed a potential go-ahead basket in the waning seconds as the Warriors, with star Stephen Curry sidelined by a sore knee, escaped with the win.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Then Gaines lets go, moving back into his anguished solitude, on the headset once again to Belew in the press box trying to crack the Marshall defense for the go-ahead score.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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.