[Sight] How to Look Without “Look” [Phrase Bank]

Lately I’ve noticed a habit among newer writers to rely on “look” as a default/catch-all verb for any sort of eye-based movement. This results in repetitive prose with ~10 usages of the word per 1k words. It also overlooks the potential of a strong, evocative sight-based sentence ie:

Gray Alys regarded him evenly, her steady gray eyes fixed on his own cold blue ones.

George RR Martin, “The Lost Lands”

Below are some “building blocks” to help pave your way to a stronger “look”.

[None of the quotes below belong to me. They are intended to be used as references for influence and not to be copied directly]

Unformatted version:

Spotted (“You were spotted returning from the Mon Magisteria”)

Gander (took a gander at)

Peeped

Peered

Peeked (“…he anxiously peeked over his shoulder.”)

Stared fixedly at

Stares hard at her

He considered the shelter

Checked (“He checked his dagger, relieved to find it stil in place”)

“Eyes panned the road”

surveyed

Scoped out

Took in

“He soaked in the sights”

Feasted his eyes on

“Ran (“…ran an eye over the hilt…” | “She ran a fond eye over him.”)

_ laid eyes on

Darted a glance/look at _

Casted a glance

Eyes lit on

His eyes found

Eyes swung away

“Snapped his eyes onto /at”

Turned his sights back to

Drifted

Eyes roved
Marv steadied his gaze on Stevie

“Glance fell momentarily on Tammy”
“Pike subjected Orso to that withering stare”

“Right pupil was a bottomless pit inviting Sam to fall in”

“Fixed me with his protuberant eyes”

“Drowning in her storm-grey eyes”

“She caressed me with soot-black eyes”

“Locked him with an angry smile”

“Konig pinioned Aufschlag with flat gray eyes”

Lost himself in the gaze

“Wichtig met Bedeckt’s eyes with a cold glare”

“Lydra kneels, pressed down by the weight of his gaze.”

Exchanged a look

Returned his gaze

from the magus


“Something with amber eyes held watch”

Kept an eye on _

Kept his eyes trained

Locked eyes with Patricia

“Their eyes locked, brown on brown.”

“His brown eyes meeting her blues”

“Gray Alys regarded him evenly, her steady gray eyes fixed on his own cold blue ones.”

“Included Meryam in his gaze”

“Appraised them with a slow sweep of the eyes”

“Extended the glare to the girls”

Eyes kept returning to

“Turned his attention to”

“He switched his gaze to the dragon.”

“Her eyes landed on Carat…”

Fell on (“Her gaze fell on Morveer.”)

“Eyes flashed toward the librarian”

“Two cold eyes returned Raiden’s glare.”

Eyeballing him

“Looked _ dead in the eye”

“Looked ___ squarely in the face.”

Eyes slid away from mine

Eyes climb

Flicked a glance at

“cut a glance to”

Centers her gaze on / gaze came to rest

Swept his gaze

Eyes swept the crowd

Aimed her gaze at

“He peers at me through puffy eyes”

Snagging (caught eyes on attn)

To maintain eye contact

Latched gazes

“Leveled an icy stare at Slaughter”

“Couldn’t take his eyes off”

“Sizing him up”

“Bounced looks back and forth between Luis and Josh”

“line of our gaze connected.”
“Without once taking his eyes off the sconce”

“never once taking her eyes off the drawning”

“never let him out of my sight”
“he never took his eyes from the duke”
_ had eyes only for _

“Eyes didn’t leave his face”
Returned his gaze
Eyes lingered on 
Eyes strayed to

Pry his gaze from

Tore his gaze (“he could not tear his gaze from the roofs of the cavern city.”)

Eyes left the hole

Averted his gaze

Take notice/took notice

Took no notice of _

“Eyes sought the ground/_ dropped his gaze.”

“we avoided each other’s gaze”

“Shied from the gaze”

“Quirk avoided his eye”

Refused to meet his eye

Didn’t meet her eye

““Unwilling to meet her eye”

“Skimmed past Matthew”

“Trailed his eyes across Wren”
Lost sight of

Lost track

Left his sight

““passed out of sight”

Out of view (plunged out of view)

Snuck a look | chanced a look

Stole a glance (forbiddingly etc)

“risked a downward glance”

“snatched a glance over his shoulder”