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Glite Dictionary
to go wrong with

to go wrong with

18 3.9
To make a bad choice when picking something
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : equivocarse con
  • Bonus and you can't go wrong with some new shoes.

I think really you can't go wrong with fruits and veggies.

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Examples

  • If you're unsure what to order, you can't go wrong with the chef's special.

  • You can't go wrong with a dish like that.

    CarousHELL (2016)

  • You can never go wrong with black.

    The Hate U Give (2018)

  • You really cannot go wrong with medieval technology.

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  • You never go wrong with a fried fish sandwich.

    Nope (2022)

  • Honestly, I don't think you could go wrong with either choice for 2012.

    Blog text (22)

  • I love cottage homes like this, and you certainly can't go wrong with a Southern Living plan.

    Blog text (12)

  • And last but not least, you can't go wrong with cool black shades.

    Sarahs Day

  • You can't ever go wrong with chicken wings.

    Hustlers (2019)

  • You can never go wrong with a classic pair of Converse white sneakers.

Synonyms

to take a wrong turn
vsto go wrong with
  • Informal
20 3.9

Choosing the wrong direction or decision causes trouble

is specifically about choosing poorly when selecting an option

Surface Forms

go wrong with infinitive
going wrong with present participle
goes wrong with third person singular
went wrong with past
gone wrong with past participle

Morphology

go + wrong + with

The phrase is directly built from 'go' (come to be in a particular state) + 'wrong' (incorrect/unsuitable) with 'with' marking the target, so a learner can infer it means to end up making an incorrect choice about something. This follows a common English pattern (verb + adjective, e.g. 'go wrong') and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the parts should understand the intended meaning.

Etymology

The phrase go wrong with comes from a simple image: you pick something and go wrong with it, like ordering a dish that tastes bad. So, go wrong with means 'to choose unsuccessfully'.