look out for — protect
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to take care of someone and make sure they are safe or treated well
Say it like a native
Textbook It is important to safeguard the welfare of one another.
Native We look out for each other.
'Look out for' is the warm everyday phrase for protecting and caring. 'Safeguard the welfare of' is formal.
Pattern: look out for + noun/pronoun
In use
- Older siblings often look out for their younger brothers and sisters.family
- I think it’s important for friends to look out for each other, especially during stressful times at university.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She always looks out her little brother.
✓ She always looks out for her little brother.
This sense needs 'for' — 'look out FOR someone'.
Common collocations
look out for— each other, my little brother, number one, his mates
Don't confuse it
'Look after' means to care for someone in general; 'look out for' is more about protecting or supporting.
Related
- look out for (watch for) — Another meaning of 'look out for' is 'watch for'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.