see past
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle past
Meanings
Recognise the truth beyond an appearance or excuse
Why “past”? Attention goes beyond a visible detail, appearance, or excuse to notice what is more important.
“She saw past his friendly smile.”
“The teacher saw past the excuse.”
“Customers saw past the clever advert.”
Test yourself
“She saw past his friendly smile.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
look past
Same past pattern: beyond the surface
Ignore a surface detail and notice what is more important
see about
Same base verb: see
Arrange something or take action to solve it
see off
Same base verb: see
Repel a rival successfully
see over
Same base verb: see
Visit a property or place to inspect it carefully
see through
Same base verb: see
Help someone survive a hard period; Recognise the truth behind a deception; Continue with a difficult task to its end
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