What does 'look through' mean in a code review?

Look through means to examine the code carefully. When a colleague says they will look through your PR, they will read the changes and check for problems.

Is 'look through' formal or casual?

Look through is neutral. You can use it in standups, Slack messages, emails, and meetings. It works in both casual and professional contexts.

What's the difference between 'look through' and 'review'?

They mean the same thing, but 'review' is slightly more formal. 'Look through' is more conversational. Both are correct in tech workplaces.

Can I say 'look through on something'?

No. Do not add 'on' after 'look through.' Say 'look through the code,' not 'look through on the code.'

How do I use 'look through' in a sentence?

Use it with an object: 'I will look through the logs.' 'Can you look through this document?' The object comes directly after 'through.'

Is 'look through' the same as 'skim'?

No. Look through means careful examination. Skim means quick, surface-level reading. If you look through code, you check it thoroughly.

What Does "Look Through" Mean at Work?

Commonness
Versatility
Formality	CasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticNeutral
Region

Say it like this

✓Can you look through this PR when you have a minute?

✓I'll look through the logs and get back to you.

✓Let me look through the requirements before we start.

✓I looked through the error messages but couldn't find anything useful.

✓We should look through the documentation first.

Real examples

Standup

"I'm going to look through the new feature requirements this morning."

Slack message

"Hey, can you look through my changes before I merge?"

GitHub PR

"I've looked through the code and left a few comments."

Jira ticket

"Need to look through the error logs to identify the root cause."

Retrospective

"We should look through last sprint's metrics before deciding on changes."

Sprint planning

"Let's look through the backlog and prioritize the urgent items."

Pair programming

"Can you look through this function while I explain the logic?"

Don't say this

✕I will look through on the code.

✓I will look through the code.— Look through is followed directly by the object, no preposition needed.

✕I looked through it but I don't read it carefully.

✓I looked through it but I didn't read it carefully.— Keep verb tenses consistent. Use past tense for both actions.

✕I will look through.

✓I will look through the document.— Look through needs an object. Say what you will look through.

Other forms

base form

look through

"I need to look through the logs."

present simple

looks through

"She looks through every PR carefully."

past simple

looked through

"I looked through the documentation yesterday."

present continuous

looking through

"I'm looking through the error messages now."

present perfect

have/has looked through

"I've looked through the code and it looks fine."

Often used with

look through the codeMost common in tech—examining source code

look through the logsChecking system or error logs for issues

look through the documentationReading docs to find information

look through the PRReviewing a pull request

look through the backlogExamining pending tasks or tickets

look through the requirementsChecking project specifications

Similar words

reviewMore formal, often used in official contexts like code review

go throughVery similar, slightly more casual

checkMore casual, implies quick examination

examineMore formal, implies careful inspection

go overSimilar meaning, common in meetings

Opposites

skipignoreoverlookskim

Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Asking a teammate to review code

1. How would you ask someone to check your pull request?

Can you look through my PR?Can you look through on my PR?Can you look through to my PR?

Find the error

2. I looked through on the documentation but couldn't find the answer.

looked through onthe documentationcouldn't find

Complete the sentence

3. I need to look _____ the error logs before the meeting.

Make it more natural

4. Rewrite: I will review the code carefully to find bugs.

More words

review go through check out dig into take a look at PR review code review

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "look through" in a standup this week?

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