go to great lengths
To make a major effort; to be very careful when doing something, especially to an extreme or excessive degree.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They go to great lengths to keep their garden looking perfect.”
“She went to great lengths to find the exact gift her friend wanted for her birthday.”
“The author went to great lengths to research historical details, ensuring the novel felt authentic to the period.”
- 01
a great deal
Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.
- 02
all dressed up and nowhere to go
Elaborately attired or otherwise fully prepared for an anticipated situation or activity which, nevertheless, fails to occur.
- 03
all systems go
Everything is ready.
- 04
arm's length
Distant, detached.
- 05
as you go
While one is doing (something); as one progresses.
- 06
boldly go where no man has gone before
To break new ground.
- 07
come and go
To repeatedly appear and disappear; to be transient.
- 08
don't go there
Do not broach that topic.
Last updated August 10, 2026