cast about

cast about idiom
  1. Also, cast around. Seek, make a search, as in We cast about for the necessary tools, but couldn't find them in the garage. [Late 1600s]
  2. Devise means, contrive, as in They cast about for new ways to increase revenue. This usage was first recorded in 1867.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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