When Prepositions Flip Meaning

The trickiest prepositions are the ones that change a verb's meaning entirely. The verb stays the same, but the little word attached to it sends the meaning in a new direction.

Take the verb "look":

• Look up = search for information
• Look into = investigate
• Look after = care for
• Look down on = disrespect

None of these meanings come from the verb alone. You cannot guess them from "look," and you cannot translate them word for word from another language. The fix is the same as for dependent prepositions: learn the whole phrase as one unit, meaning included.