look out for

Idioms  

1. 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.

2. 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 .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

look out for

Sazan appealed to the infamously paranoid Hoxha as a vantage point from which he and his associates could look out for any invaders who might come sailing over the Mediterranean to interrupt his rule.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

"At night we're sweating, we're irritable, we have children to look out for, elderly people who need electricity for oxygen tanks," she told the BBC's US partner CBS.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

There are also tax benefits to look out for, including the child and dependent care tax credit or dependent care FSAs that allow for childcare costs to be paid with pre-tax dollars.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

“The type of people that we have, nobody’s taking advantage of the fact that he’ll look out for us a little bit in the schedule.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Mom told me to look out for ice holes,” Owen told George, the wind clipping his words.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz