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Glite Dictionary
to go all the way

to go all the way

56 3.6
Stick with something until you finish it
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : ir hasta el final
  • OK, we're going to go all the way through with this.

And, and we wanted to go all the way down the line with that.

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Examples

  • If you want to succeed, you need to go all the way and give it your best effort.

  • You have to go all the way through to the end.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • And then right here, make sure you go all the way to the end.

  • Well, if you want to sell it, you have to go all the way.

    Blood Pi (2020)

  • But now that I had started down this path, I had to go all the way.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • You have to be sure you want to go all the way before you'll get there.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • "All right: if that's what you think, why don't we just go all the way?"

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The team decided to go all the way and complete the project ahead of schedule.

  • Before starting the new venture, you should be ready to go all the way and face any challenges.

Synonyms

to go through with
vsto go all the way
175 3.7

To do something you promised or planned even if it feels difficult

stresses wholehearted commitment rather than just finishing despite doubt
to follow through
vsto go all the way
86 3.7

Continue and finish something you promised to do

emphasizes wholehearted commitment beyond just finishing a promised task
to go the distance
vsto go all the way
16 4.6

To keep working on a task until it is finished, even when it is hard

emphasizes full commitment, not only long endurance to finish tasks
to go all in
vsto go all the way
  • Informal
15 5.2

Put all your time, money, and effort into one plan

adds the expectation of carrying an action fully to completion
to follow out
vsto go all the way
1 4.6

Continue an idea or plan until it is finished

emphasizes personal wholehearted commitment rather than only pursuing to conclusion

Antonyms

to give up
∞ 1.2

To stop trying to do something or accept defeat

to quit
653 1.5

To stop trying when something is too hard

How Complete

to go all the way
56 3.6
to go along
95 2.1
to start out
286 1.4

Surface Forms

go all the way infinitive
went all the way past
gone all the way past participle
going all the way present participle
goes all the way third person singular

Morphology

go + all + the + way

The meaning 'to fully commit or carry something through' is directly derivable from combining 'go' (move/advance) with the phrase 'all the way' (the whole distance or full extent); together they transparently signal taking an action to its completion. This composition follows common cross‑linguistic patterns (go + full extent) and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Go all the way gives the image of someone going to the very end, like running a long race and crossing the finish line. To go the whole way means to finish what you started, so the phrase means 'to fully commit' or 'to carry something through to the end'.