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
“We have to look out for each other.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
She told the inquiry no-one explained the risks to her, what she needed to look out for, or what could happen.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Elsewhere, what used to be roaming bands of Hadzabe men now work as village forest guards, tasked with patrolling vast scrub forests and acacia bushlands to look out for poachers, land grabbers and illegal loggers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
“Once I noticed my ID was missing, I figured you were going to try to use it somehow, so I asked a friend of mine in security to look out for you.”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
