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  • look-over
    look-over
    noun
    a brief or superficial examination or reading.
  • look over
    look over
    verb
    (intr, preposition) to inspect by making a tour of (a factory, house, etc)
Synonyms

look-over

American  
[look-oh-ver] / ˈlɒɒkˌoʊ vər /

noun

  1. a brief or superficial examination or reading.


look over British  

verb

  1. (intr, preposition) to inspect by making a tour of (a factory, house, etc)

    we looked over the country house

  2. (tr, adverb) to examine (a document, letter, etc)

    please look the papers over quickly

"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

noun

  1. an inspection: often, specifically, a brief or cursory one

"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
look over Idioms  
  1. Also, look up and down. Examine or inspect something or someone. For example, Jerry was looking over the books when he found an error, or They looked the new boy up and down. The first expression dates from the mid-1400s, the variant from the late 1800s.


Etymology

Origin of look-over

First recorded in 1905–10; noun use of verb phrase look over

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:

“We have probably 160 lawyers” giving the film a look-over, said Sheila Nevins, HBO’s documentary film president, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

From Washington Times Nov. 28, 2014

The town houses of Georgetown and Cleveland Park are getting a look-over, says Robinson, although many frugal Democrats may end up settling in the less pricey suburbs of Maryland and Virginia.

From Time Magazine Archive

McKeever does six furlongs in 1:14 with the assistance of the hollering, and the owner takes him off the track, gives him a look-over and some extra attention, and smiles to himself.

From Taking Chances by Clarence L. Cullen

They rows up to the house, and the old feller sittin' on his balcony gives 'em a look-over and then he gives the word to let 'em in.

From Command by William McFee

And with that he came to and gave me a sad look-over.

From The Lash by Olin L. Lyman

"When I look over there and I see how close we were to disaster like some of those people, that is terrifying," she said.

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

"If you look over the last 20, 30 years, there has been a prevalence, especially in summer, of those sort of anticyclonic conditions that are making heatwaves more likely," Buontempo told AFP.

From Barron's Jun. 23, 2026

The first time he put the camera behind a row of fans, I had to look over the edge of my 3D glasses to double-check that those waving arms weren’t really in my theater.

From Los Angeles Times May 7, 2026

Offer to look over and send out her résumé.

From MarketWatch Apr. 25, 2026

We drove to Darmstadt to look over the camp.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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