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poke around

B1 informal intransitive
In simple words

To look around somewhere by moving things and checking different spots to see what you can find

Literal meaning: To poke things in different spots all around a space

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic informal

To search through a place or collection of objects casually and out of curiosity

"I spent the afternoon poking around the flea market and found some fascinating old maps."

2 B2 idiomatic informal

To investigate a situation or organization, often without official permission or a clear goal

"Journalists began poking around in the politician's financial dealings, which made his team very nervous."

Usage notes

Very common in informal British and American English. Can be physical (searching through objects in a room) or digital (browsing through files or a website). Can have a slightly negative connotation of nosiness but is often neutral or playful.

Commonly used with

house attic internet files market drawer website town

Forms

Base
poke around
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pokes around
he/she/it
Past simple
poked around
yesterday
Past participle
poked around
have + pp
-ing form
poking around
continuous

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