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Synonyms

cast about

British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to make a mental or visual search

    to cast about for an idea for a book

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cast about Idioms  
  1. 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]

  2. 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.

See Examples For:

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

Stokes is the headliner of all-star ensemble cast about to tell a story overflowing with subplots.

From BBC Jun. 15, 2023

In his review of that movie, which retains a cult following, Vincent Canby of The Times commiserated with Mr. Pinsent and the cast about the difficulty of having to act with a mock computer.

From New York Times Mar. 4, 2023

He got to his feet and cast about for the water skin.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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