look after

verb

1. to take care of; be responsible for

   she looked after the child while I was out

2. to follow with the eyes

   he looked after the girl thoughtfully

Idioms and Phrases

Also, look out for ; see after . Take care of, attend to the safety or well-being of, as in Please look after your little brother , or We left Jane to look out for the children , or Please see after the luggage . The first expression dates from the second half of the 1300s, the second from the mid-1900s, and the third from the early 1700s.

Example Sentences

This is followed by a seven-week training programme, during which trainees are taught how to look after people in custody and de-escalate challenging situations.

From BBC

"After 25 years, we can't look after the people here because there's nowhere for them to stay and the council won't pay for overnight care."

From BBC

Ms Boocock said her life at the time was devoted to staying in to look after Bradley.

From BBC

June Spencer had little choice but to leave school to look after her mother – who eventually lived until she was 94.

From BBC

"She would look after me all day and my husband would then take over, almost like in shift patterns," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• act
• close
• complete
• conclude
• create
• determine
• end
• execute
• finish
• make
• move
• operate
• perform
• prepare
• produce
• succeed
• undertake
• work