# look before you leap

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/look-before-you-leap
Updated: 2026-06-07

## 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

From Aesop's fable of the fox and the goat; the English proverb appears in John Heywood's proverb collection (1546).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.