The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SCOPING
S
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Looking out for" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case looking out for = scoping.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SCOPING mean?
SCOPING verb- To perform a cursory investigation of; scope out.
- To perform any medical procedure that ends in the suffix -scopy, such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.
- To limit (an object or variable) to a certain region of program source code.
- To examine under a microscope.
- To observe a bird using a spotting scope.
- The act of adding a scope