taking a fast look

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "taking a fast look" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to indicate a quick or brief examination of something. Example: "Before making a decision, I recommend taking a fast look at the report to understand the key points."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Spiked with energy and attitude, the nonfiction movie "Fightville" takes a fast look at a few men who, for pleasure and sometimes profit, like to smack and take down other men while practicing mixed martial arts.

The New York Times

(Scott) 'Fightville' (No rating, 1 25) Spiked with energy and attitude, this frustratingly superficial nonfiction movie from Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker takes a fast look at a few men who take down other men while practicing mixed marial arts.

The New York Times

Kickers made a 42-yard field goal, the length of the proposed new extra point, 83percentt of the time in 2013 -- so while the one point after is still a safer bet, coaches looking to take an fast lead, catch up early in the game, or go up another possession will have to consider the two-point try as a reward worth the relative risk.

HuffPost

When the tide is no longer rising so fast, people take a different look.

The New York Times

Lyft took a hard look at another fast-growing startup in the sector, Greenhouse, which raised its own $35 million Series C round in August, before running with Lever.

Forbes

Take a look at the fast food industry.

The Guardian

If you're interested in the thinking that's helped the team progress this far this fast, take a look at Bob Gregory's blog post about building trust in the online development space.

TechCrunch

Not only is this a significant round of investment for this fast growing startup, take a close look at several of the investors leading this $33M round of funding - they are mostly women!

Forbes

THIS week's issue of The Economist takes a look at Zambeef, a fast-growing food firm, and FastJet, an African low-cost airline which is struggling to establish itself.

The Economist

Let's take a closer look at NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. The fast-paced and simplistic action is left intact.

Forbes

There is therefore a need to take a proper look at the secondary forests, which are now taking the place of the fast dwindling high forest vegetation.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "taking a fast look" when you need to convey that the examination or review is done quickly and without deep analysis.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "taking a fast look" might sound too informal for some professional or academic writing. Opt for alternatives like "conducting a brief review" or "performing a swift analysis" to maintain a more formal tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "taking a fast look" functions as a verbal phrase describing the action of quickly examining something. Based on Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically correct. Though Ludwig AI has limited examples, the existing ones show common usage in news and media.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "taking a fast look" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a quick examination or review. According to Ludwig AI, its aiResponseStatus is 'RESPONSE_YES'. While generally acceptable, it may be too informal for highly formal contexts. Related phrases include "glancing quickly" and "giving a swift scan". To maintain a professional tone, consider using alternatives such as "conducting a brief review". Despite being grammatically correct, remember that its register suits more neutral than formal contexts. Due to the absence of exact matches, we infer a limited frequency across different text types.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Taking a cursory view

Replaces "fast look" with "cursory view", indicating a superficial examination.

Giving a swift scan

Emphasizes the rapid nature of the examination.

Glancing quickly

Focuses on the act of glancing, implying a very brief look.

Checking rapidly

Focuses on the speed of checking something

Performing a quick check

Implies a more structured and purposeful, though still brief, assessment.

Having a brief glimpse

Uses 'glimpse' which suggests a momentary or incomplete view.

Skimming through

Suggests reading something quickly, focusing on main points.

Casting a fleeting eye

More figurative, suggesting a very transient look.

Giving it a once-over

Informal idiom for a quick inspection.

Taking a peek

Informal, suggesting a secretive or surreptitious look.

FAQs

How can I use "taking a fast look" in a sentence?

You might say, "Before deciding, I'm "taking a fast look" at the data to understand the trend."

What are some alternatives to "taking a fast look"?

Consider using phrases like "quick glance", "brief review", or "cursory examination" as alternatives, depending on the level of formality required.

Is "taking a fast look" appropriate for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "taking a fast look" is generally considered informal. More formal options include "conducting a brief analysis" or "undertaking a preliminary assessment".

What's the difference between "taking a fast look" and "studying carefully"?

"Taking a fast look" implies a quick, superficial examination. In contrast, "studying carefully" suggests a thorough, in-depth analysis and review of the subject.