go around
move from one place or person to another
What does "go around" mean?
Examples
- There's a going around that the company is about to be sold — wait, let me rephrase: There's a rumour going around that the company is about to be sold.
- A nasty cold has been going around the office all week and half the team is off sick.
- Word went around quickly that the concert had been cancelled.
How to use it
This is the most common and natural frame — the circulating thing appears after 'there is' and before 'going around'.
There's a rumour going around that the manager is leaving.
The circulating thing acts as the subject, with 'go around' following it directly.
A funny joke went around the office and everyone was laughing all afternoon.
Use a 'that-clause' after 'going around' to explain the content of the rumour or story.
There's a story going around that the old cinema is going to be turned into a hotel.
The present perfect continuous is used to show that something has been circulating for a period of time up to now.
A nasty virus has been going around the school for the past two weeks.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
In this sense, 'go around' never takes a direct object. The rumour, virus, or story is the subject doing the circulating — you cannot put it after the verb as an object.
'Get around' can sound very similar but it tends to focus on information successfully reaching many people, while 'go around' focuses on the ongoing process of something circulating. Both are correct in many situations, but they are not always interchangeable.
In this sense, the subject should be something that circulates — a rumour, a cold, an idea, etc. If a person is the subject and is physically moving from place to place, that is a different meaning of 'go around'.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. The most common pattern is 'There's a [rumour/bug/story] going around (that...)', especially in the present continuous to describe something happening right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of things can 'go around' as subjects?
The subject is almost always something that spreads informally and without full control — for example, rumours, stories, jokes, gossip, ideas, photos, or videos. Illnesses like colds, bugs, and viruses are also very common subjects. You would not normally use a person as the subject in this sense.
Does 'go around' always mean the same thing?
No — 'go around' has more than one meaning. In this sense, it means something is circulating or spreading through a group. In a different sense, it means a person is physically moving around a place, like 'We went around the market'. Context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.
Why is the present continuous so common with this phrasal verb?
Native speakers often use 'there's a [something] going around' to talk about something that is actively spreading right now — for example, a cold or a piece of gossip. The present continuous highlights that the spreading is still in progress, which makes it feel more immediate and natural in conversation.
Can 'go around' be used without 'there is'?
Yes. You can say 'A rumour is going around that...' or 'Word went around quickly that...' without using 'there is'. Both structures are natural. The 'there is' pattern is simply the most frequent one in everyday speech.
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