see to it

verb

To ensure or guarantee (that something happens)

“The security team saw to it that she arrived safely.”

Meanings

verbsee to it (third-person singular simple present sees to it, present participle seeing to it, simple past saw to it, past participle seen to it)

present singular third person sees to it · participle present seeing to it · past saw to it · participle past seen to it

  1. intransitiveTo ensure or guarantee (that something happens)

    The security team saw to it that she arrived safely.

    3 more examples

    Would you please see to it that the kitchen is clean before I get home?

    The Satan of the mystery plays was a Trickster, but a dignified one. Performances were sanctioned only for religious festival occasions, and both Church and town authorities saw to it that the guildsmen did not stray far from orthodoxy in their dramatic enthusiasm. This need to adhere to scriptural and traditional accounts of Satan constrained dramatic innovation in his long-established character.

    1983, Wendy Griswold, “The Devil's Techniques: Cultural Legitimation and Social Change”, in American Sociological Review, volume 48, number 5, page 671a of 668–680

    As Daenerys has floundered, Sansa has seen to it that people are fed and sheltered—and how many times have we been reminded that those are the concerns of most folk in Westeros and elsewhere?

    2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are Waged On and Off the Game Of Thrones Battlefield (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2021

    Synonyms: ensure, make sure, attend to, take care of, guarantee

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo ensure or guarantee (that something happens)

More synonyms by meaning

verbbe careful or certain to do something; make certain of something

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish varmistaa, pitää huolen
  • varmistaato ensure
  • pitää huolento ensure
German sein Augenmerk darauf haben, dass …
  • sein Augenmerk darauf haben, dass …to ensure
Russian проследи́ть, проконтроли́ровать
  • проследи́ть (prosledítʹ)to ensure
  • проконтроли́ровать (prokontrolírovatʹ)to ensure
  • приня́ть ме́ры (prinjátʹ méry)to ensure
Spanish encargarse
  • encargarseto ensure
Ukrainian просте́жити
  • просте́жити (prostéžyty)to ensure
Cite this entry
APA

see to it. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/see%20to%20it

MLA

“see to it.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/see%20to%20it. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “see to it,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/see%20to%20it.

Source: see to it on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.