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.
AI tools are making it easier for people to shop around for the lowest prices, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
Experiences like this have encouraged Nabongo to shop around more, she says, despite her elite status with Delta.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
The Conservative politician called on the government to create a price comparison website for heating oil so consumers could shop around.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
As ever, the advice for consumers is to shop around.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
It just feels good to shop around and pretend.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
