# search for sth/sb

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/search-for-sth-sb
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to look carefully for someone or something that is lost or hidden.

For teachers: to examine a place or area systematically in order to find a specific person or object; often implies a more thorough or formal effort than 'look for'.

## Examples

- I search for my keys every morning before work.
- The rescue team continues to search for survivors in the mountains after the storm.
- Historians often search for primary sources in dusty archives to uncover the truth about forgotten events.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I searched my phone everywhere." but "I searched for my phone everywhere." — without 'for', it means you are looking inside the phone's software or hardware, not trying to find the device itself.

## Usage notes

- the object is the thing you want to find, while the place you look is the direct object of 'search' alone.
- Teaching tip: contrast 'search for something' (the goal) with 'search a place' (the location); for example, you search a room for your phone.

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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.