Base verb

Phrasal verbs with look

The verb look combines with 19 particles to form everyday phrasal verbs. Each particle steers the meaning in its own direction — here they are with clear definitions and examples, so you can see the whole family at once.

19 phrasal verbs · 25 meanings

look after

1 sense
  • Take care of someone or something
See meaning and examples

look ahead

1 sense
  • Think about what will happen in the future
See meaning and examples

look around

2 senses
  • Look at all parts of a place or view
  • Visit a place to see what is there, especially before deciding to buy
See meaning and examples

look at

1 sense
  • Direct your eyes toward someone or something
See meaning and examples

look away

1 sense
  • Turn your eyes in a different direction
See meaning and examples

look back

1 sense
  • Think about events in the past
See meaning and examples

look behind

1 sense
  • Turn your head to see what is at your back
See meaning and examples

look down

1 sense
  • Direct your eyes downward
See meaning and examples

look for

1 sense
  • Try to find someone or something
See meaning and examples

look forward

1 sense
  • Feel pleased about something that will happen
See meaning and examples

look in

1 sense
  • Visit briefly to see how someone is
See meaning and examples

look into

1 sense
  • Investigate a problem, event, or complaint
See meaning and examples

look on

2 senses
  • Watch something happen without taking part
  • Regard or consider someone or something in a particular way
See meaning and examples

look out

1 sense
  • Be careful or watch for danger
See meaning and examples

look over

1 sense
  • Inspect something quickly but carefully
See meaning and examples

look past

1 sense
  • Ignore a surface detail and notice what is more important
See meaning and examples

look round

1 sense
  • Inspect a place by looking in different directions
See meaning and examples

look through

2 senses
  • Examine the contents of something quickly
  • Pretend not to see someone you know
See meaning and examples

look up

4 senses
  • Direct your eyes upward
  • Search for information in a book or online
  • Start to become better
See meaning and examples
Sink In app icon

Sink In — iOS & Android

Practice the look family in Sink In

Drill every sense of look with spaced repetition — recognition, particle cloze, and meaning recall — so the whole family sticks instead of blurring together.

  • Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
  • Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
  • Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
1,300+ phrasal verbs26 particle patternsBuilt for B1–C2
Sink In particle browser