to-go

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or providing food or beverages consumed away from their place of sale : take-out
a to-go order
to-go boxes/containers
This is mostly a take-out joint, and Filipinos in the know trickle in all day for a to-go lunch, dinner or breakfast.Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

to go

2 of 2

idiomatic phrase

1
: still remaining
There are five minutes to go before halftime.
There's only one week to go until election day.
2
of food and beverages : for consumption away from its place of sale
They ordered their lunches to go.
You stop at the corner for a doughnut and coffee to go.Jay McInerney

Examples of to-go in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There are five restaurants and bars, both casual/to-go and more upscale sit-down, all with outdoor seating options. Kim Westerman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The uptown store will sell sodas and cold beverages, artisanal and specialty snacks, to-go sandwiches, greeting cards, gifts, and beer and wine for retail purchases only. Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 The wind threatened to scatter the white clamshell to-go containers on the table. Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024 Both the Greenwich Village and Bed-Stuy shops have no seating inside and are built for to-go orders. Gary Stern, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 While delivery services and ghost kitchens can certainly boost to-go sales, delivery fees mean significantly lower income per meal for the restaurant — DoorDash charges restaurants up to 30% commission per order. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 The events will also feature a variety of sides and to-go items and $10 Easter baskets for sale. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 14 Feb. 2024 The coffee shop, bakery and restaurant is removing all its table from the first floor to accommodate long lines, to-go orders only. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2024 Here are more than 18 places offering dine-in or to-go meals around town just in time for Valentine's Day. The Courier-Journal, 5 Feb. 2024
Idiomatic phrase
Nicole is so talented and funny, but Nicole had this amazing opportunity to go overseas in the West End and perform. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 After Detroit again closed to within three, Butler used his savvy footwork for a basket to put the Heat back up five, and then hit his first three of the night with 21 seconds to go to put the Heat up eight. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Run by the team behind Reid’s Fine Foods, Salted Melon Market is part market and part restaurant for those that want to grab a bite to go or dine in for a meal. Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 The pair emerged from a field of six Republicans to go head to head in the runoff where Klick beat Lowe by nearly 10%. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Hollywood has surmised that audiences only want to go to the movies for films that feel less like generic screenings and more like cultural happenings. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Lillard’s 41 points came on an efficient 12-of-22 shooting, including four three pointers, to go with four rebounds and four assists, while Bobby Portis added 28 points and 16 rebounds. Matias Grez, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Timberlake’s apparent response to that apology was to go onstage and mock her attempt. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Her doctor’s advice was to go outside and sit in the sun, but even that was tough. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'to-go.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1953, in the meaning defined above

Idiomatic Phrase

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of to-go was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near to-go

to go

to-go

Tōgō

Cite this Entry

“To-go.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to-go. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Togo

geographical name

To·​go ˈtō-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce Togo (audio)
republic in western Africa on the Bight of Benin; capital Lomé area 21,925 square miles (56,785 square kilometers), population 8,176,000
Togolese adjective or noun

Biographical Definition

Tōgō

biographical name

Tō·​gō ˈtō-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce Tōgō (audio)
Marquis Heihachirō 1848–1934 Japanese admiral
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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