look up

British  

verb

1. (tr) to discover (something required to be known) by resorting to a work of reference, such as a dictionary

2. (intr) to increase, as in quality or value

   things are looking up

3. to have respect (for)

   I've always wanted a girlfriend I could look up to

4. (tr) to visit or make contact with (a person)

   I'll look you up when I'm in town

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look up Idioms  

1. Search for in a book or other source, as in I told her to look up the word in the dictionary . [Late 1600s]

2. Call on or visit, as in I'm going to look up my friend in Chicago . [Mid-1800s]

3. Become better, improve, as in Business is finally looking up . [c. 1800]

4. look up to . Admire, respect, as in The students really looked up to Mr. Jones . [Early 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

look up

Just don’t forget to look up: the fall colors are, after all, hard to beat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

There's a large print-out of Helen Haines plastered onto the window of her office - anyone delivering flowers for her gets a big smile back as they look up and walk away.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security has been running an online detainee locator since 2010 where anyone can look up a person being held in immigration detention.

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026

I like to look up and down the aisles, and I like to fantasize: How did this happen?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

“We came all the way here to look up these addresses. Let’s go to Reisterstown Road.”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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