# What Does Look Through Mean? Simple Tech English Guide (2026) > To review or examine something carefully, often to check for problems or details. - **Term:** look through - **Part of speech:** phrasal verb - **Pronunciation:** /lʊk θruː/ - **English level (CEFR):** B1–B2 - **Register:** Neutral, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Code and Git terms](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/software-development-terms.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/look-through - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning To review or examine something carefully, often to check for problems or details. In software teams, "look through" describes the process of examining code, documentation, or system logs to understand what happened or identify issues. Engineers use this phrase during standups when discussing progress, in pull request discussions when checking a teammate's work, and during incident postmortems when investigating problems. It's common in interviews too, when candidates explain their problem-solving approach. The term feels conversational rather than formal, making it natural for Slack messages and quick team conversations. For example, a developer might say, "I looked through the error logs and found the database connection was timing out." A common mistake is treating "look through" as synonymous with "skim," but it actually implies careful, purposeful examination rather than casual glancing. While less official than "code review," it carries the same meaning of deliberate inspection. ## When you hear it Used in standups, Slack, code reviews, and meetings. Works in both casual and professional contexts. ## 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?" ## What native speakers say - "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." ## Common mistakes - ✗ "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.) ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | ## Collocations - **look through the code**: Most common in tech—examining source code - **look through the logs**: Checking system or error logs for issues - **look through the documentation**: Reading docs to find information - **look through the PR**: Reviewing a pull request - **look through the backlog**: Examining pending tasks or tickets - **look through the requirements**: Checking project specifications ## Synonyms - **review**: More formal, often used in official contexts like code review - **go through**: Very similar, slightly more casual - **check**: More casual, implies quick examination - **examine**: More formal, implies careful inspection - **go over**: Similar meaning, common in meetings ## Opposites - skip - ignore - overlook - skim ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/look-through ## FAQ ### 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. ## Related - [dig into](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/dig-into.md) - [code review](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/code-review.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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