Meaning & use

look up

verb·Everyday

To search for a piece of information, especially in a reference source, or to improve after a period of difficulty.

See it in a sentence

I had to look up the word's meaning before I could use it correctly.

After a rough first quarter, sales began to look up by early summer.

A note on using this word

Look up is a phrasal verb; its two senses, 'search for information' and 'improve,' are unrelated and determined entirely by context.

Words with a similar meaning

search forcheck

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “look up”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.