ask around
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle around
Meanings
Ask several different people in order to find information
Why “around”? Something moves from person to person. Soon many people have it or know it.
“At the shopping centre cafe, Maya asked around for a shop that sold travel mugs.”
“I'll ask around for a good plumber.”
“Nina asked around at work for a babysitter.”
Don't confuse with
Ask around means ask several different people in order to find information. Ask in means invite someone to enter your home.
Test yourself
“At the shopping centre cafe, Maya asked around for a shop that sold travel mugs.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
ask in
A contrast learners often mix up
Invite someone to enter your home
circulate around
Same around pattern: sharing
Pass through a group of people
get around
Same around pattern: sharing
Avoid a rule or difficulty; Travel or move about; (of news) become widely known; Find time to do something
go around
Same around pattern: sharing
Take a longer path to avoid something; Move in a circular path; Be enough for everyone in a group; Behave in a particular way habitually; (of an illness) be common in a community
hand around
Same around pattern: sharing
Give out by hand from one to another
kick around
Same around pattern: sharing
Discuss informally as a group
pass around
Same around pattern: sharing
Distribute by handing from one to the next
send around
Same around pattern: sharing
Circulate through a group
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