shop around

English

Verb

shop around (third-person singular simple present shops around, present participle shopping around, simple past and past participle shopped around)

  1. (intransitive) To actively search and compare options before making a selection or choice of vendor.
    He's gone to shop around for a new car.
  2. (intransitive) To actively make a search for an alternative choice of something one has, owns, or wants, without it necessarily involving buying or selling anything.
    She's shopping around for a new boyfriend.
    • 1960, Smokey Robinson (lyrics and music), “Shop Around”, performed by The Miracles:
      Before you ask some girl for her hand now / Keep your freedom for as long as you can now / My mama told me, you better shop around.
    • 1973, Willie Hutch (lyrics and music), “I Choose You”:
      Girl no longer do I / Have to shop around any more, no no no / I've found that once in a lifetime / Girl that I've been searching for
  3. (intransitive) To put something out on offer to multiple parties in the hope one will choose it.
    He's shopping around his book to several studios. He hopes to get a movie deal.

See also
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