Phrasal verbs with look
Most phrasal verbs with look are about seeing, searching or caring: look for your keys, look after a child, look up a word, look forward to the weekend.
Phrasal verbs with look by level
- A1–A28look for, look after, look up
- B15look after, look forward to, look out
- B212look for, look up, look forward to
- C1–C24look up, look over, look through
Each meaning has its own level, from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary, or our estimate (~) where they give none.
A1–A2The first ones to learn 8 meanings
- look forlook for somethingA1
try to find someone or something
I’m looking for my keys. Have you seen them?
- look afterlook after somebody or somethingA2
take care of someone or something and keep them safe and well
My grandma looks after my little brother on Fridays.
- look uplook something upA2
find information in a dictionary, a book or online
If you don’t know a word, look it up.
- look uplook upA2
raise your eyes to see something above you
Look up! There’s a rainbow.
- look atlook at somebody or somethingA1
turn your eyes towards someone or something
Look at me when I’m talking to you.
- look aroundlook aroundA2
turn your head to see what is around you
She looked around, but nobody was there.
- look backlook backA2
turn your head to see what is behind you
He looked back and waved goodbye.
- look backlook back somethingA2
read again something you saw earlier
Look back at page ten if you forgot the rule.
B1Common, with a clear meaning 5 meanings
- look afterlook after somethingB1
be responsible for something, often at work
Sara looks after our biggest clients.
- look forward tolook forward to somethingB1
feel happy about something that is going to happen
I’m looking forward to the holidays.
- look outlook outB1
be careful, because something bad may happen
Look out! There’s a car coming!
- look aroundlook around somethingB1
walk around a place and look at the things in it
We looked around the old town in the morning.
- look throughlook through somethingB1
search inside a bag, a box or a drawer
I looked through my bag but found nothing.
B2Second meanings and more idiomatic ones 12 meanings
- look forlook for somebody or somethingB2
want or hope to get a quality or result
What do you look for in a flatmate?
- look uplook somebody upB2
visit or contact someone you have not seen for a long time
If you’re in Rome, look my brother up.
- look forward tolook forward to somebody or somethingB2
say in a formal letter or email that you hope to hear from someone
I look forward to hearing from you.
- look outlook out somebody or somethingB2
watch for someone or something that may appear
Look out for my sister at the station.
- look atlook at somethingB2
examine something to find a problem or check it
A doctor will look at your knee tomorrow.
- look atlook at somethingB2
think about a subject carefully before you decide
We’re looking at a few different options.
- look intolook into somethingB2
examine the facts about a problem to find out the cause
The police are looking into the robbery.
- look intolook into somethingB2
find out about something you may want to do or buy
I’m looking into evening courses.
- look backlook back somethingB2
think about something that happened in the past
I often look back on my school days.
- look down onlook down on somebodyB2
think that you are better than someone
He looks down on people who don’t go to university.
- look up tolook up to somebodyB2
admire and respect someone
I’ve always looked up to my older sister.
- look throughlook through somethingB2
read or check something quickly, page by page
I looked through the report on the train.
C1–C2Less common and more formal 4 meanings
- look uplook upC1
get better, usually for a situation
Things are looking up at work.
- look overlook something overC2
check something quickly, to see if it is right
Can you look over my essay before I hand it in?
- look overlook something overC1
visit a place and look at it to decide about it
We looked over the house before we made an offer.
- look throughlook through somebodyC1
pretend not to see someone
She looked through me as if I wasn’t there.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use phrasal verbs with look in real conversations
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Phrasal verbs with look that people mix up
Close in meaning, but not the same.
look up: find information in a dictionary, a book or online.
look for: try to find something, not necessarily information.
look up or look up to?
look up: find information in a dictionary, a book or online.
look up to: admire; do not mix it up with look up.
look at: turn your eyes towards someone or something.
look into: investigate a problem.
look at: turn your eyes towards someone or something.
look over: read or check something quickly.
look over: check something quickly, to see if it is right.
look through: read something quickly.
Phrasal verbs with look: exercise with answers
Eight questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1I _____ the website, and Tom does the emails.
Look after: be responsible for something, often at work. More on look after
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2Let’s _____ the photos from the trip.
Look through: read or check something quickly, page by page. More on look through
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3I’m looking _____ my keys. Have you seen them? (try to find someone or something)
Look for: try to find someone or something. More on look for
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4Which is correct? (visit or contact someone you have not seen for a long time)
Look up is separable here, and a pronoun must go in the middle. More on look up
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5The board will _____ the budget on Monday.
Look at: think about a subject carefully before you decide. More on look at
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6I often look back on my school days. What does it mean here?
Look back: think about something that happened in the past. More on look back
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7Look _____ or you’ll fall. (be careful, because something bad may happen)
Look out: be careful, because something bad may happen. More on look out
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8Have you _____ flights to Lisbon?
Look into: find out about something you may want to do or buy. More on look into
Phrasal verbs with look: FAQ
How many phrasal verbs with look are there?
Dictionaries list many more, but these 13 are the ones learners meet most, with 29 meanings between them. Each has its own page with examples, common mistakes and a short quiz.
What are the most common phrasal verbs with look?
Start with the A1 and A2 ones: look for, look after, look up, look at, look around, look back. Then the B1 ones, which are common in everyday conversation.
Which phrasal verbs with look are separable?
2 of them have at least one separable meaning, where the object can go in the middle: look up, look over. With a pronoun like it or them, the object must go in the middle.