20 Phrasal Verbs with “Look”

20 Phrasal Verbs with “Look” (Meanings & Examples)

Hello English learners! Welcome to a new lesson. Phrasal verbs with look are extremely common in everyday English. Native speakers use them naturally in conversations, emails, and professional communication. Learning them will help you sound more fluent and confident, and they are especially useful for B2 First and C1 Advanced exams. Let’s explore 20 important phrasal verbs with look, together with clear meanings and natural example sentences.

Look after

Meaning: To take care of someone or something.

• Mary looks after her younger brother while their parents are at work.
• Who will look after the dog while you are on holiday?

Look up to

Meaning: To admire or respect someone.

• Many students look up to their teachers.
• She has always looked up to her older sister.

Look down on

Meaning: To consider someone as less important or inferior.

• He tends to look down on people who disagree with him.
• You should never look down on others because of their background.

Look into

Meaning: To investigate or examine something carefully.

• The company is looking into the customer’s complaint.
• The police are looking into the cause of the accident.

Look for

Meaning: To search for something or someone.

• She is looking for her lost keys.
• They are looking for a new employee.

Look up

Meaning: To search for information in a book, database, or online.

• If you don’t understand a word, look it up in a dictionary.
• I had to look up the train schedule.

Look over

Meaning: To check or review something quickly.

• The manager will look over the report before the meeting.
• Could you look over my essay and give feedback?

Look out

Meaning: To be careful or alert to danger.

• Look out! There’s a car coming.
• Always look out when crossing the street.

Look forward to

Meaning: To feel excited or pleased about something in the future.

• I look forward to seeing you next week.
• She is looking forward to her holiday.

👉 Remember: This phrasal verb is always followed by -ing or a noun.

✔ I look forward to meeting you.

❌ I look forward to meet you.

Look back on

Meaning: To think about something in the past.

• She often looks back on her childhood with happiness.
• He looked back on his career with pride.

Look through

Meaning: To read or examine something quickly.

• He looked through the documents before signing them.
• I’ll look through your proposal later.

Look away

Meaning: To turn your eyes away from something.

• She had to look away during the frightening scene.
• He looked away because he felt embarrassed.

Look around

Meaning: To explore or examine a place.

• They looked around the city during their trip.
• Feel free to look around the shop.

Look out for

Meaning: To watch for something or someone, often to protect or help.

• Look out for pickpockets in crowded areas.
• She always looks out for her younger cousins.

Look to

Meaning: To depend on or expect help from someone.

• Many employees look to their manager for guidance.
• Children often look to their parents for support.

Look ahead

Meaning: To think about or plan for the future.

• It’s important to look ahead and set long-term goals.
• Businesses must look ahead to remain successful.

Look down upon

Meaning: To treat someone as inferior (more formal version of look down on).

• Society should not look down upon people who choose different lifestyles.
• She dislikes people who look down upon others.

Look in on

Meaning: To visit someone briefly to check if they are okay.

• I will look in on my neighbour later.
• Could you look in on grandma while I’m away?

Look at

Meaning: To direct your eyes toward something or consider something carefully.

• Look at the painting carefully.
• Let’s look at the problem from another perspective.

Look past

Meaning: To ignore or move beyond a problem or mistake.

• She managed to look past his earlier mistakes.
• Good leaders look past minor disagreements.

Quick Summary

Final Tip for Learners

When learning phrasal verbs, avoid memorising long lists. Instead, learn them through examples, stories, and real-life situations. Notice how prepositions change the meaning of the verb look, and try using these expressions in your speaking and writing practice. This will help your English sound far more natural and fluent.

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