look through

verb

looked through; looking through; looks through
1
: to read or briefly examine some of the pages of (a book, magazine, etc.)
She was looking through a magazine as she waited in the doctor's office.
2
: to look at the different parts of (a collection or group of things)
I looked through all his letters.
3
: to place one's eyes so as to see through (something)
look through a telescope
4
: to pretend not to see or recognize (someone) in a rude or unfriendly way
We used to be best friends but when she passed me on the street yesterday she looked (right/straight) through me without even saying hello!

Examples of look through in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Silverstein also suggests renting costumes by looking through websites like Facebook Marketplace, Depop and Poshmark. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 Frank spent a week in Buffalo, looking through an archive of Osborn’s papers. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 The premise for it, Goyeneche said, was to verify if growth was sustainable when looked through an ESG perspective. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 The type of supply shocks that have driven the energy surge generally are considered temporary, and policymakers often will look through them when considering where to set rates. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for look through

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Look through.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/look%20through. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster