look for indicators

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "look for indicators" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when instructing someone to search for signs or evidence that suggest a particular situation or outcome. Example: "In order to assess the market trends, you should look for indicators that signal potential growth or decline."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

One idea is to look for indicators, known as biomarkers such as protein levels in blood that can allow you to make an early diagnosis or accurately predict a drug or vaccine's effectiveness.

The New Yorker

One idea is to look for indicators, known as biomarkers — such as protein levels in blood — that can allow you to make an early diagnosis or accurately predict a drug or vaccine's effectiveness.

The New Yorker

So I try to look for indicators that show that they've been willing to make these tradeoffs earlier in their life.

Huffington Post

"We look at things such as trends or weak signals and look for indicators of all the possible and plausible futures that could be out there," says Terry Grim, a professor in the Studies of the Future program at the University of Houston.

Vice

Thirdly, it is important to look for indicators that embrace complexity.

BMC Health Services Research

Given that the training encourages participants to look for changes in eating and exercise behaviours that are interfering with function, rather than encouraging participants to look for indicators of diagnostic categories, this result is perhaps more desirable than having a sustained increase in the specific recognition of the problem as bulimia.

BMC Psychiatry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Look for indicator words such as breaded, fried, toasted, or crispy which may indicate the use of flour or another type of breading.

WikiHow

"They are always looking for indicators to evaluate the things that don't show up on the balance sheet".

The Guardian

He explained his interdiction strategy, which relied on pulling over out-of-state cars for minor traffic violations, then looking for indicators of drug trafficking.

The New Yorker

Mistake number one among chartists is looking for indicators that mimic price movement.

Forbes

Messenger's new "chat assist" feature for payments uses machine learning to scan the text you and your friends write, looking for indicators that someone should be sent money.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing instructions or guidelines, use "look for indicators" to prompt readers to actively identify key signs or evidence that support a specific conclusion or action. For example, "When troubleshooting a software issue, look for indicators such as error messages or unusual system behavior."

Common error

Avoid using "look for indicators" in overly general or vague situations where the specific indicators are not well-defined. Instead, provide clear and concrete examples of what should be observed. For instance, instead of saying "Look for indicators of success", specify "Look for indicators such as increased sales, positive customer feedback, or market share growth".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "look for indicators" functions as a directive, instructing the reader or listener to actively search for specific signs or clues. It’s used to guide observation and analysis, prompting the identification of telltale signs. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "look for indicators" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression that directs one to search for specific signs or clues. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's versatile and correct for a wide range of contexts, including science, news, and general instructions. While its usage is appropriate across different registers, clarity is key; ensure that the indicators are well-defined to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives include "search for signs" or "identify signals", depending on the desired tone and context. The phrase is most commonly found in news media and scientific publications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

search for signs

This alternative replaces "look" with "search" and "indicators" with "signs", maintaining the core meaning of seeking evidence.

seek out clues

Using "seek out" instead of "look for" and "clues" instead of "indicators" offers a slightly more informal tone.

identify signals

"Identify" is a more formal alternative to "look for", and "signals" is a more technical term for "indicators".

detect warning signs

This phrase emphasizes the proactive nature of identifying indicators that suggest potential problems.

find telltale signs

"Find" is a simple alternative to "look for", and "telltale signs" indicates that the signs are revealing.

watch for symptoms

Using "watch for" instead of "look for" and "symptoms" instead of "indicators" frames the phrase in a medical or diagnostic context.

scan for triggers

"Scan for" implies a systematic search, while "triggers" suggests indicators that initiate a particular response.

observe patterns

This alternative highlights the analysis of trends and regularities to identify indicators.

investigate markers

"Investigate" implies a more in-depth search, and "markers" is a scientific term for indicators.

recognize harbingers

This phrase suggests identifying indicators that foreshadow future events or developments.

FAQs

What does "look for indicators" mean?

The phrase "look for indicators" means to search for and identify signs, clues, or data points that suggest a particular condition, trend, or outcome. It implies a proactive effort to find evidence that supports a specific conclusion or action.

What can I say instead of "look for indicators"?

You can use alternatives like "search for signs", "identify signals", or "detect warning signs" depending on the context.

How to use "look for indicators" in a sentence?

Use "look for indicators" when you want to instruct someone to actively search for specific signs or evidence. For example: "When assessing a company's financial health, look for indicators such as revenue growth, profit margins, and debt levels."

What's the difference between "look for indicators" and "look for evidence"?

"Look for indicators" focuses on specific signs or data points that suggest something, while "look for evidence" is a more general request to find any information that supports a claim or hypothesis. "Look for indicators" implies a more targeted search based on predefined criteria, while "look for evidence" is broader.