Meaning & use
gave the go-ahead
Last updated
UK/ˌɡeɪv ðə ˈɡəʊ əhed/
US/ˌɡeɪv ðə ˈɡoʊ əhed/
Meaning
phraseidiom
Gave permission or a signal for something to begin.
Grammar: Past tense of 'give the go-ahead'; usually followed by 'to' plus a person, or 'for' plus an activity.
Patterns
- gave the go-ahead to someone
- gave the go-ahead for something
- gave someone the go-ahead
The director gave the go-ahead to start filming next week.
Our manager gave the go-ahead for the new budget.
They finally gave us the go-ahead after months of waiting.
Common combinations
- give the go-ahead for something
- The council gave the go-ahead for the bridge repairs.
- give someone the go-ahead
- The boss gave her the go-ahead to hire two more staff.
- get the go-ahead
- We got the go-ahead from the client this morning.
- final go-ahead
- We're still waiting for the final go-ahead.
Synonyms and how they differ
- approved
- 'Approved' focuses on official agreement, while 'gave the go-ahead' suggests a signal to start acting.
- authorized
- More formal and often legal; 'gave the go-ahead' is common in everyday and business talk.
Opposites
blockedvetoed
Word family
- go-ahead noun
- the permission or signal itself: We have the go-ahead.
Commonly confused: gave the go-ahead or gave a heads-up?
gave the go-ahead vs gave a heads-up
A 'heads-up' is a warning or advance notice, not permission to proceed.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Give the go-ahead to something' is the usual pattern; 'of' and 'at' do not fit, and 'on' is much less common than 'to' or 'for'.
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