go over

Short definition: The phrase go over means to review or examine something carefully, or to cross from one place to another, depending on context, often implying checking details or discussing information again.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb go over? This is a very common expression in everyday English and it usually relates to reviewing, examining, or discussing something carefully. You may hear it in workplaces, schools, meetings, or casual conversations when people want to check details or make sure everything is understood. In other contexts, it can describe physically moving across something or repeating information to understand it better. Because it appears in many situations, the meaning depends on the context. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how go over works in everyday English.

go over v. /ˌɡoʊ ˈoʊvər/

Forms: go over, goes over, went over, gone over, going over
Related: review v., examine v., discuss v., inspect v.
Syllable: go-o-ver

(Verb) To review or examine something carefully.
To go over most commonly means reviewing or examining something carefully, especially information, documents, or plans, to make sure everything is correct and understood.

The manager asked the team to go over the report before the meeting.

Let’s go over the instructions one more time to avoid mistakes.

She spent the evening going over her notes before the exam.

Synonyms: review, examine, check, inspect, study, analyze, look through, assess, evaluate, reread, verify, scrutinize
Antonyms: ignore, overlook, neglect, skip review, disregard, bypass, miss details, avoid checking, dismiss, forget, overlook information, neglect examination
(Verb) To explain or discuss something step by step.
Go over can also mean explaining something carefully so that another person understands it clearly, often by discussing each part or detail.

The teacher will go over the homework answers tomorrow.

Could you go over the plan again so everyone understands?

He went over the instructions slowly for the new employees.

Synonyms: explain, discuss, clarify, review together, talk through, walk through, outline, describe carefully, interpret, detail, demonstrate, break down
Antonyms: confuse, mislead, obscure, hide details, skip explanation, leave unclear, complicate, avoid discussion, misinform, distort meaning, conceal information, ignore questions
(Verb) To move across or pass over something.
In a physical sense, go over can describe moving across or passing from one side of something to the other.

The cat quickly went over the fence and disappeared.

They had to go over the bridge to reach the village.

The ball went over the wall during the game.

Synonyms: cross, pass over, move across, travel over, climb over, go across, step over, move beyond, traverse, pass beyond, leap over, transfer across
Antonyms: stay on side, remain, stop before, retreat, turn back, remain behind, stay put, avoid crossing, return, move away, withdraw, step back

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Go over

Before a major presentation, colleagues Sebastian and Elena are reviewing their data. The dialogue explores go over, which means to examine or check something carefully, or to repeat something so that it is remembered.

Sebastian: We need to go over the financial figures one more time to ensure there are no errors before we meet with the investors.

Elena: I’ll go over the slides for the presentation as well; I want to make sure the transitions are smooth and the text is clear.

Sebastian: I read that it’s helpful to go over your notes immediately after a lecture to help move the information into your long-term memory.

Elena: I noticed that the manager likes to go over the weekly goals every Monday morning to keep the entire team focused and motivated.

Sebastian: If we go over the budget for this project, we’ll have to explain the extra expenses to the accounting department next week.

Elena: I saw a lawyer go over the contract line by line to look for any hidden clauses that could potentially disadvantage his client.

Sebastian: It’s a good habit to go over your flight details the night before you travel to avoid any confusion about terminal numbers or times.

Elena: I agree; I’m going to go over the instructions for the new software once more so I can help the rest of the staff today.

Sebastian: I’m glad we took the time to go over everything; I feel much more confident that our proposal is accurate and professional.

Elena: Me too; once we go over the final checklist, we’ll be completely ready for the big meeting tomorrow morning at nine.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Go Over

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb go over is used to talk about reviewing, examining carefully, or crossing something.

Go over the details

To review specific information.

Before signing the contract, we should go over the details carefully to avoid misunderstandings.

Go over the plan

To examine a strategy.

The manager asked the team to go over the plan once more before presenting it to the client.

Go over your notes

To review study materials.

Students are encouraged to go over their notes the night before the exam.

Go over the budget

To review financial information.

We need to go over the budget to ensure we are not exceeding our limits.

Go over a problem

To analyze a difficulty.

Let’s go over the problem step by step to understand where the mistake occurred.

Go over the rules

To review regulations.

The teacher decided to go over the rules before starting the competition.

Go over the report

To check a document.

Please go over the report and highlight any sections that need revision.

Go over the results

To examine outcomes.

The team met to go over the results of the recent marketing campaign.

Go over expectations

To exceed what was expected.

The final presentation went over expectations and impressed the entire board.

Go over time

To exceed a time limit.

The speaker accidentally went over time because the audience kept asking questions.

Go over the instructions

To review guidelines.

Make sure to go over the instructions thoroughly before assembling the equipment.

Go over the material

To review content.

We spent the afternoon going over the material to prepare for the test.

Go over everything

To review all aspects.

Before the launch, the team went over everything to ensure nothing was overlooked.

Go over a bridge

To cross something.

We went over the bridge and enjoyed the beautiful view of the river below.

Go over the agreement

To examine a contract.

The lawyer went over the agreement carefully before advising his client.

Go over your speech

To rehearse.

She practiced by going over her speech several times before the event.

Go over the checklist

To review listed tasks.

Before departure, they went over the checklist to ensure everything was packed.

Go over the topic again

To review once more.

If the concept is unclear, we can go over the topic again tomorrow.

Go over the presentation

To rehearse content.

They decided to go over the presentation together to improve clarity.

Go over carefully

To examine with attention.

Please go over the document carefully before submitting it to the supervisor.

Words Rhyme with go over

show the clover

know the rover

slow the dover

grow the drover

throw the stover

flow the clover

stow the rover

low the dover

row the drover

glow the stover

over

clover

rover

drover

moreover

handover

leftover

sleepover

stopover

passover

crossover

changeover

flyover

hangover

rollover

takeover

walkover

turnover

popover

bollover

POS: Verb Phrase