look through

read or examine something carefully from start to finish

B2

What does "look through sth" mean?

To look through something means to read or examine it carefully and thoroughly, going from start to finish. It suggests more than a quick glance — you are paying close attention to the content, whether that is a document, a set of files, a pile of emails, or even a collection of old photos. The emphasis is on being systematic and thorough rather than casual. It is a neutral expression that fits naturally in both professional settings (looking through a report before a meeting) and everyday situations (looking through a magazine or a drawer full of old letters). The object always comes after 'through' and is typically something physical or textual that can be read or examined.

Examples

How to use it

look through + document/collection

The most common pattern — use 'look through' followed directly by the object, which is typically a document, file, or collection of written material.

She spent the afternoon looking through the applications before the interviews.

look through + pronoun (it/them)

When using a pronoun, it must follow 'through' — it cannot be placed between the verb and the particle.

The files arrived this morning — can you look through them before lunch?

have been looking through + object

The present perfect continuous is especially natural with this phrasal verb when describing an activity that has been ongoing or was recently in progress.

I've been looking through the quarterly reports and I've noticed a few discrepancies.

look through + object + before/to + action

Commonly used with a purpose clause to explain why someone is examining the material.

Could you look through the contract before we agree to anything?

Common Collocations

look through documentslook through emailslook through fileslook through the reportslook through old photoslook through applications

Common Mistakes

Separating the verb and particle

Unlike some phrasal verbs, 'look through' is never separated. The object must always follow 'through', not go between 'look' and 'through'.

✗ Can you look the report through before the meeting?
✓ Can you look through the report before the meeting?
Confusing 'look through' with 'look over'

'Look through' implies reading or examining something carefully and completely, from beginning to end. 'Look over' often suggests a quicker, less thorough review. If you want to emphasise thoroughness, 'look through' is the better choice.

✗ I looked over every page of the contract three times to check for errors.
✓ I looked through the entire contract three times to check for errors.
Using an abstract topic as the object

In this sense, 'look through' needs a physical or textual object — something you can actually read or examine. If the object is an abstract issue or topic you want to investigate, 'look into' is the correct choice.

✗ The manager decided to look through the complaint.
✓ The manager decided to look into the complaint. / The manager looked through the complaint file.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and suitable for both professional and everyday situations. It often appears with the present perfect continuous ('I've been looking through...') to describe an activity that has been ongoing for a period of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'look through' always mean reading carefully? Can it mean something else?

In this sense, yes — it means examining something carefully from beginning to end. However, 'look through someone' is a completely separate expression meaning to deliberately ignore a person, as if they are not there. Context makes the meaning clear: if the object is a document or set of materials, it means careful examination; if the object is a person, it means ignoring them.

Can 'look through' be used in the passive — for example, 'the files were looked through'?

This is technically possible but sounds unnatural and is rarely used. Because the action is very much driven by the person doing the examining, native speakers almost always use the active form. It is much more natural to say 'Someone has already looked through the files' than 'The files were looked through.'

Is 'I've looked through the report' natural, or should I use a different tense?

The present perfect simple can work here, especially when you want to say the action is completed — 'I've looked through it and it looks fine.' However, if the process was lengthy or is still ongoing, the present perfect continuous often sounds more natural: 'I've been looking through the report all morning.' Both are correct, but the continuous form better captures the idea of a prolonged, thorough process.

What kinds of things can you 'look through'?

The object is usually something you can physically read or examine — documents, emails, files, reports, catalogues, notes, old photos, a contract, or a folder of records, for example. It is not typically used with abstract topics or problems; for those, 'look into' would be the right choice.

Related Phrasal Verbs

look into sth
look sth over
run through sth
sift through sth

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