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shop around

A2 neutral intransitive
In simple words

To go to lots of different shops or look at lots of different options to find the best one

Literal meaning: To go to multiple shops and look around — transparent

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

To visit or contact multiple stores or sellers to compare prices before buying something

"You should shop around before buying a new laptop — prices vary a lot between retailers."

2 B1 idiomatic informal

To explore and compare options (jobs, universities, service providers, partners) before committing to one

"Don't accept the first job offer you get — shop around and see what else is out there."

Usage notes

Very common in everyday English. Used both literally (visiting shops) and figuratively (comparing service providers, employers, universities, etc.). Advising someone to 'shop around' is always well-intentioned.

Commonly used with

price deal mortgage insurance loan supplier

Forms

Base
shop around
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shops around
he/she/it
Past simple
shoped around
yesterday
Past participle
shoped around
have + pp
-ing form
shoping around
continuous

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