ENGLISH
REFERENCE

go off with

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford Informal

phr. v.. to leave a place or person in order to be with someone else, often for a romantic relationship.

phr. v.. to depart in the company of another person, typically implying the abandonment of a previous partner or social group for a new romantic interest.


SIMPLE

He decided to go off with his new girlfriend.

CONTEXTUAL

After ten years of marriage, she suddenly went off with a colleague she met at work.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's decision to go off with the mysterious stranger serves as the primary catalyst for the family's eventual collapse.

Particles
off with
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
go + off + with + object
Usage

usually implies a sudden departure or a choice that might upset others.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'go off' (to explode or to stop liking something) to show how the addition of 'with' creates a specific social or romantic meaning.

Pitfall

She went off with him to the cinema.She went to the cinema with him.'Go off with' usually implies leaving one's current life or partner for someone else, not just attending an event together.

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