# look over one's shoulder

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/look-over-ones-shoulder
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To check obsessively out of excessive caution or fear of a perceived danger.

## Examples

- He always looks over his shoulder when walking home at night.
- After the scandal broke, the manager felt like he had to look over his shoulder every time he entered the office.
- Living in a city where the law was constantly changing, the shopkeeper could never relax and spent his days looking over his shoulder for the authorities.

---

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.