Idiom idiom
look before you leap
Meaning
Take only calculated risks
Examples
“Always look before you leap when you start a new business.”
“You should check the contract carefully before signing it because it is always better to look before you leap.”
“While the investment opportunity seems profitable, a wise person will look before they leap by researching the company's financial history first.”
Origin
first recorded 16th c.
first recorded 16th c.
From Aesop's fable of the fox and the goat; the English proverb appears in John Heywood's proverb collection (1546).
Last updated June 7, 2026