something goes wrong

USAGE SUMMARY

'something goes wrong' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to an unfortunate event or when referring to a situation in which something has not gone as planned. For example: I had everything ready for the presentation, but then something went wrong and I couldn't present my project.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But something goes wrong.

The New York Times - Books

Until something goes wrong.

The New York Times

What if something goes wrong?

The New York Times

Then something goes wrong.

The New York Times

"Every day, something goes wrong".

The New York Times

"What happens if something goes wrong?

Independent

Something goes wrong in a lab!

The New York Times - Magazine

And then, too often, something goes wrong.

The New York Times

Something goes wrong during the birth.

The New York Times - Books

Who is responsible when something goes wrong?

The New York Times

What happens when something goes wrong?

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with conditional conjunctions like 'if' or 'when' to discuss risk management and contingency planning.

Common error

Avoid using 'wrongly' in this specific construction. While 'wrongly' is an adverb used in phrases like 'wrongly accused', the verb 'go' in this context functions as a linking verb, requiring the adjective 'wrong' to describe the subject.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "something goes wrong" consists of the indefinite pronoun 'something' acting as the subject, the intransitive verb 'goes' acting as a linking verb and the adjective 'wrong' acting as a subject complement. According to Ludwig AI, this structure is standard English used to indicate a shift from a functional state to a state of failure.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Academia

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

7%

Personal Correspondence

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "something goes wrong" is an essential tool in the English language for describing complications and failures. As evidenced by Ludwig AI examples, it is frequently utilized in both high-stakes journalism and technical documentation to discuss risk and accountability. Whether you are writing a news article for The New York Times or a research paper for a scientific journal, this phrase provides a clear and grammatically sound way to introduce an unexpected issue. While it is perfectly acceptable in most contexts, writers should be mindful of its general nature and opt for more specific technical terms like "system failure" or "procedural error" when precision is required in professional environments.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

things go wrong

Generalizes the problem to multiple elements rather than a single 'something'.

something goes awry

Uses a more sophisticated adjective to imply a deviation from a planned course.

a problem arises

More formal and suitable for professional or academic reports.

an error occurs

Specific to technical, computational or mathematical contexts.

things go south

An idiomatic, informal way to describe a situation deteriorating rapidly.

something malfunctions

Restricts the meaning to mechanical or electronic failure.

a mishap occurs

Implies a minor or unfortunate accident rather than a major failure.

something fails

More direct and potentially more severe than 'goes wrong'.

things take a turn for the worse

Focuses on the negative progression of a narrative or condition.

something breaks

Highly informal and usually implies physical or functional damage.

FAQs

How to use "something goes wrong" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a hypothetical failure, such as: "We need a backup plan in case "something goes wrong"."

What can I say instead of "something goes wrong"?

Depending on your context, you can use more precise alternatives like "something goes awry", "a complication develops" or "an issue pops up".

What is the difference between "something goes wrong" and "something went wrong"?

The difference is purely tense. "something goes wrong" is the present tense used for general truths or future hypotheticals, while "something went wrong" is the past tense used to describe an event that has already occurred.

Is "something goes wrong" formal enough for a business report?

While it is grammatically correct, business reports often prefer more specific nouns. Instead, consider using "a problem was encountered" or "technical difficulties arose".