Definition

Verb: * To examine, investigate, or monitor someone or something to verify their condition, accuracy, quality, or truthfulness. It implies a deliberate act of inspection or follow-up.

Usage

This phrasal verb is transitive and requires an object (the person or thing being examined). It is often used in informal and formal contexts to describe acts of verification or supervision.

Examples

• The doctor will check up on the patient's progress next week.
• I need to check up on the status of my application.
• She called to check up on her elderly neighbor.
• The manager regularly checks up on the team's project milestones.

Advanced Usage

• "to check up on someone": Often implies ensuring someone is safe, well, or behaving correctly. It can carry a nuance of mild surveillance or caring oversight.
  • My parents always check up on me when I travel alone.
• "to check up on something": Focuses on verifying facts, data, or the condition of an object or process.
  • Before publishing the report, we must check up on all the cited statistics.

Variants and Related Words

• Checkup (n): A routine examination, especially a medical one.
  • I have my annual physical checkup tomorrow.
• Follow up (v): To take further action to ensure a previous action was completed or effective. This is a close synonym but emphasizes sequential action rather than the act of examination itself.
  • I will follow up with the client next week.

Synonyms

• Investigate: To carry out a systematic or formal inquiry.
• Monitor: To observe and check the progress or quality of something over a period of time.
• Verify: To make sure or demonstrate that something is true, accurate, or justified.
• Inspect: To look at something closely, typically to assess its condition or to discover any shortcomings.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Check out: To investigate, examine, or look at something interesting. It can also mean to leave a hotel or formally withdraw.
  • You should check out that new restaurant.
• Look into: To investigate or examine the facts about a problem or situation.
  • The committee promised to look into the complaint.

Related Idioms

• Keep tabs on: To monitor someone's activities, often secretly.
  • The detective was keeping tabs on the suspect.
• Follow up on: To pursue an investigation or inquiry about something.
  • The journalist decided to follow up on the lead.

Verb

1. examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
   • check the brakes
   • Check out the engine