# go off into the weeds

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-off-into-the-weeds
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To go hopelessly astray.

## Examples

- We often go off into the weeds during our meetings.
- The project plan was clear until the team started to go off into the weeds with minor technical details.
- The professor warned the students not to go off into the weeds, urging them to keep their arguments focused on the primary thesis.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.