being on the lookout
Watching for something
Being on the lookout means watching carefully for something or someone, staying alert and attentive: Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.
The phrase often appears in warnings or requests to notice something specific: Police are asking residents to be on the lookout for a missing child.
Often shortened to BOLO in law enforcement contexts.
- alertnessActive mental awareness
- readinessState of being prepared
- attentivenessConcentrated awareness of surroundings
- watchfulnessCareful, sustained attention
- keeping watchMaintaining vigilant observation
staying alert · heedfulness · monitoring · eagle eye · wariness · caution · watching out · red flag · shadowing · circumspection · reconnaissance · scanning · on the radar · spying · eavesdropping · patrolling · tracking · expectation
being on the lookoutoblivious
Lacking any awareness
inattentive · unaware · distracted · zoned out · tuned out
being on the lookoutoff guard
Not prepared for something
caught off guard · unprepared · unsuspecting · unwary · caught napping