# cast around

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cast-around
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to look in many different places or try many different ideas to find what you need.

For teachers: to search widely or haphazardly for something, whether physical, mental, or metaphorical; often used with 'for'.

## Examples

- He is casting around for a new job.
- The manager began casting around for excuses when the project failed to meet its deadline.
- As the debate intensified, the politician cast around for a historical precedent that might justify his controversial new policy.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He casted around for his keys." but "He cast around for his keys." — the past tense of 'cast' is 'cast', not 'casted'.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by the preposition 'for' and an object.
- Teaching tip: explain the fishing metaphor (casting a line in different directions) to help students visualize the scattered, searching nature of the action.

---

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.