# hunt up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hunt-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to search for and find something that is difficult to locate.

For teachers: to search for and locate something through diligent effort; implies the object is hidden, forgotten, or requires a specific search process.

## Examples

- I need to hunt up my old passport before the trip.
- She managed to hunt up a copy of the rare book in a small shop downtown.
- The researcher spent weeks in the national archives trying to hunt up the original blueprints for the Victorian bridge.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I will hunt up it tomorrow." but "I will hunt it up tomorrow." — when using a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- the object can be a person, a piece of information, or a physical item.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'look for' (general search) and 'track down' (implies following a trail); 'hunt up' often suggests finding something you already know exists but have lost track of.

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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.