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Glite Dictionary
to cast around

to cast around

1 5.6
To look in a worried way for an idea or solution
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : buscar
  • She cast around for ideas to improve her presentation, feeling anxious about the upcoming meeting.

Examples

  • Her inner voice cast around listlessly for topics, but none held any interest.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • At this time, the firm was casting around for a new approach to building software.

    Academic text (2011)

  • If not, she said, she would cast around for other options.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Well, we were actually just casting around for something to do.

    Lianna (1983)

  • By 2007, Silver was casting around for something new.

    Blog text (22)

  • As he drove along Empire Road, he cast around in his mind for famous men who were bald.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • That way I had something to talk about, instead of casting around for some inspired thoughts on something.

    Blog text (18)

  • "Casting around for some way to cheer her up, he recalled how she'd liked his singing.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Casting around for something: shall I ask him for some pointers on my form?

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Then we cast around for a simple, objective way to identify youths who reason exceptionally well mathematically.

    Academic text (1990)

Synonyms

to search
vsto cast around
∞ 1.0

To try to find something or someone by looking carefully

is more anxious and difficult than this general finding
to hunt
vsto cast around
190 1.2

To look carefully for something or someone

is more anxious idea searching than this focused pursuit
to seek out
vsto cast around
122 3.0

Look for and find a person or thing, often with effort

is more about anxious idea searching than targeted determined finding
to cast about
vsto cast around
3 7.2

To look around or think hard to find something you need

has identical meaning but is an alternate phrasing
to look high and low
vsto cast around
  • Informal
1 3.9

To search everywhere for something that is lost

is used for anxious idea finding rather than sheer thoroughness
to ferret around
vsto cast around
  • Informal
7.4

To search carefully through things in a small place like a bag or box

is about anxious difficult idea seeking rather than close physical rummaging

Antonyms

to settle on
55 3.1

To fix your eyes or attention on one thing

How Thorough

to scour
57 5.1
to search
∞ 1.0
to cast around
1 5.6
to rummage
35 3.8
to look around
552 1.0

Surface Forms

cast around infinitive
cast around past
cast around past participle
casting around present participle
casts around third person singular

Morphology

cast + around

The sense 'to search anxiously' is partially inferable because 'around' suggests moving/looking in different directions and 'cast' (literally 'throw' or 'send out') can be metaphorically extended to sending out attempts or probes. However, the specific idiomatic use of 'cast' in this phrasal verb is metaphorical and not fully predictable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows the words may still not reliably derive the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb cast around may come from the image of cast (to throw) and around (in many directions): imagine throwing a net or line in all directions to catch something. That's why it means 'to search' widely or 'to search' anxiously for an idea or solution.