go-to en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡoʊˌtu/ (General-American)
Etymology
A univerbation of go + to. Compare typologically convenient, Russian подходя́щий (podxodjáščij) (<~ ходи́ть (xodítʹ)).
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) Desired; desirable; of choice.
For Donna Cona, who has played it since before the Times acquisition, Wordle has become her go-to thing each morning.
2024 March 14, Saira Mueller, “Millions have played Wordle, but there’s more to the game than you’d expect”, in CNN:The USA Network, let's face it, isn't anyone's go-to channel.
2003 July 7, The New Yorker, page 78:When I was starting out, I was cast as nervous characters, because I was nervous in all my auditions. So the only roles I would get were ones where I was a nervous person. It’s kind of a default setting for me. Maybe I am the go-to nervous guy, who knows? But I’ve worked on it.
2026 April 23, Rich Pelley, quoting Adam Scott, “Severance star Adam Scott: ‘There’s nothing wrong with being told that you resemble Tom Cruise’”, in The Guardian:Cheesecake is my go-to food whenever I feel down.
-
(not-comparable) Reliable; likely to perform in difficult circumstances.
Smith is your go-to person if you want lasting results.
Trump resisted for many weeks. He called the Epstein story a “hoax,” his go-to move for maximally damaging accusations.
2025 November 22, David Frum, “Marjorie Taylor Greene Came So Close to Getting the Joke”, in The Atlantic:
Synonyms
destination · clutch · must-see
Translations (3)
es imprescindible (desired, desirable, of choice) · fi suosikki- (desired, desirable, of choice) · es predilecto (desired, desirable, of choice)