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.
It helps deepen understanding of how AI could go wrong, while at the same time raising public awareness of the technology’s risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Ellen Gabler on what can go wrong when investors stand to profit from personal-injury lawsuits.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
The Welsh government said it was committed to making sure homebuyers get high quality and are protected if things go wrong.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
We need the kind of storytelling that doesn’t ask what could go wrong, but asks what could go right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The day of the mission, things start to go wrong almost immediately.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
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.
