… the word in the Thesaurus!

Analyze the question: The sentence is "____ the word in the Thesaurus!" We need a phrasal verb that means to search for a word in a reference book.

Explain the concept: The phrasal verb "look up" means to search for information (a word, a number, a fact) in a reference source such as a dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia.

• "Look up the word in the dictionary."
• "Look up his number in the directory."

Test each option:

• A. Look for: means to search for something you have lost or want to find, such as "Look for my keys." It does not fit well with "in the Thesaurus", because it does not show consulting a reference book. It is grammatically possible, but it is not the best idiomatic choice.
• B. Look in: would need an object right after it, such as "Look in the Thesaurus," so "Look in the word in the Thesaurus" makes no sense.
• C. Look at: means to gaze at something, such as "Look at the word," so it doesn't capture searching for meaning in a reference book.
• D. Look up: "Look up the word in the Thesaurus!" is the standard idiom for consulting a reference book to find a word's meaning or synonyms.

Answer: The correct option is D. Look up.

Tip: When a sentence involves a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, or directory, think of the phrasal verb "look up". Remember it as: you look UP a word in a book.