shop around
Britishverb
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to visit a number of shops or stores to compare goods and prices
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to consider a number of possibilities before making a choice
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Look for the best bargain, opportunity, or the like, as in This job offers only minimum wage so she decided to shop around for one with better pay . This expression alludes to looking in different stores in search of bargains or a particular item. [c. 1920]
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Look for a buyer for, offer for sale to various parties, as in The company is now being actively shopped around . [Second half of 1900s]
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.
You may have to shop around, as some lenders don’t offer HELOCs on rental properties.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Meanwhile, Charlie Highnett, who lives in East Yorkshire, said he would shop around accommodation providers for a cheaper deal in North Yorkshire in a bid to offset the cost of any levy.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
So you just have to log in, shop around and find out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The time and mental bandwidth you save by not having to shop around for the best deals on a travel portal could in themselves justify this simpler cash-back strategy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
A new regiment moved into the Presidio and a new bunch of soldiers always shop around a good deal before they settle down.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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.
