look out for
Idioms-
See to the welfare of, as in Mary was assigned to look out for the youngsters on the playground . Similar to look after , this expression appears in such terms as look out for number one , meaning “see to one's own best interests,” as in Looking out for number one is Barbara's first priority . Versions of this expression, such as take care of number one , date from 1700.
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Be careful of or watchful for something or someone, as in Look out for broken glass on the floor , or Look out for Mary—she'll be coming any minute . [Second half of 1600s] Also see look out .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Here are some suggestions on what to look out for.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Merino and Havertz, again, are best placed to bring down or flick on long passes from David Raya before Arsenal's midfield swarm the second ball making this another tactic to look out for.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Here are a few things to look out for.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Dehghani advises that parents look out for shifts in the boundary between themselves and the group that they’re beginning to align with.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
At least, not like I wanted to, because now I had to look out for Maddy, who was just...confused.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
