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take a gander

verb

To take a look; to check or examine.

“They all went downtown to take a gander at the new shops that had opened there.”

Similar

have a look take a look look

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Meanings

verbtake a gander (third-person singular simple present takes a gander, present participle taking a gander, simple past took a gander, past participle taken a gander)

present singular third person takes a gander · participle present taking a gander · past took a gander · participle past taken a gander

idiomaticTo take a look; to check or examine.
They all went downtown to take a gander at the new shops that had opened there.
Synonyms: have a look, take a look, look

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo take a look; to check or examine.

Similar

have a look take a look look

Also see

behold have a look look regard take a look viddy

Origin

First recorded in 1887, based on craning the neck like a goose.

Full word history & related roots →

Cite this entry

APA

take a gander. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20gander

MLA

“take a gander.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20gander. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take a gander,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20gander.

Source: take a gander on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.