cast about
Britishverb
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Also, cast around . Seek, make a search, as in We cast about for the necessary tools, but couldn't find them in the garage . [Late 1600s]
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Devise means, contrive, as in They cast about for new ways to increase revenue . This usage was first recorded in 1867.
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.
The colonists cast about for another means of ensuring that these judges would be independent, sensitive to local interests, and not entirely beholden to the king.
From Slate • Feb. 26, 2025
Whether or not Friedkin knew that this movie would be his final work, there’s a temptation to cast about for deeper significance in his choice of material.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2023
Officials estimate that people in that group cast about 540 ballots over 35 elections in 17 years.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 1, 2023
Stokes is the headliner of all-star ensemble cast about to tell a story overflowing with subplots.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2023
He cast about, snapping his fingers, while Judy and Tracy looked on in interest.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
