scope out
phrasal verb
scoped out; scoping out; scopes out
US, informal
: to look at (someone or something) especially in order to get information
They scoped out the area before setting up the tent.
Players were scoping out the competition.
He wants to scope out all of the possibilities before deciding what to do.
Examples of scope out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Footage from the outlet shows flares being shot into the sky as first responders scope out the scene.
—
Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 27 July 2025
Yelp isn’t just a go-to hub for finding your favorite restaurants or scoping out reliable home contractors.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
Since reopening after three years of pandemic closure, Hong Kong has come roaring back as a destination for readers, who have enthusiastically returned to their favorite hotels (or to scope out new ones).
—John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Team building Throughout the process of scoping out Blue Ghost's mission, deliberations were ongoing and focused on power needs, how long experiments would run, data requirements, baseline minimums and maximums, and other specifics.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scope out
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Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 27 July 2025
Yelp isn’t just a go-to hub for finding your favorite restaurants or scoping out reliable home contractors.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
Since reopening after three years of pandemic closure, Hong Kong has come roaring back as a destination for readers, who have enthusiastically returned to their favorite hotels (or to scope out new ones).
—John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Team building Throughout the process of scoping out Blue Ghost's mission, deliberations were ongoing and focused on power needs, how long experiments would run, data requirements, baseline minimums and maximums, and other specifics.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scope out
Cite this Entry
“Scope out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scope%20out. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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