go around — circulate
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to move from person to person or place to place, often spreading information, news, or an object.
Say it like a native
Textbook A rumour is currently circulating among the staff.
Native There's a rumour going around the office.
'Going around' is the everyday way to say something's spreading. 'Circulating among the staff' is formal.
Pattern: go around (something)
In use
- There’s a rumor going around that our teacher is leaving.communication
- In my school, important announcements usually go around quickly because students share them on social media.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ A rumour went around to everyone.
✓ A rumour went around.
'Go around' already implies it spread to people. Don't add 'to everyone'.
Common collocations
go around— a rumour, a bug, a story, a joke
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'go around' meaning 'avoid by moving around something physically.'
Related
- go around (be enough for everyone) — Another meaning of 'go around' is 'be enough for everyone'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.