variants
or reconnoitre
as in to explore
to go to (a place or area) in order to find out information especially about a military enemy; to do a reconnaissance of (a place)
An expedition reconnoitered the coast to find out the exact location of enemy forces.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reconnoiter
What kind of action plan is visualized to reconnoiter that object?
—
Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Squat under the brush; bend to see around branches and trees; crawl to reconnoiter dense thickets.
46.
—Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2019
Thomas Caldwell Thomas Caldwell, a Navy veteran who once worked for the FBI, coordinated a planned armed response and engaged in reconnoitering the Capitol, prosecutors said.
—Ella Lee, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023
The paddlers quickly pulled off to the right bank, secured the canoes and set up camp, while a scouting party hacked their way through the brush to reconnoiter.
—Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023
Beginning in late 2026, Hera will reconnoiter both Dimorphos and Didymos to take measurements of the rocks and show how DART changed the system.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Mar. 2023
Along the way the spacecraft will scrutinize Saturn’s mysterious and spectacular rings and reconnoiter its many satellite worlds, especially Titan — the largest moon in the solar system and, it is believed, the only one with its own atmosphere.
—Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020
In August, with the approach of spring, the expedition continued to reconnoiter the forbidding coast.
—Gerard Helferich, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022
Russia is reportedly using other, non-loitering drones, such as the Orlan-10, to reconnoiter Ukrainian positions.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 28 Mar. 2022
Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Squat under the brush; bend to see around branches and trees; crawl to reconnoiter dense thickets.
46.
—Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2019
Thomas Caldwell Thomas Caldwell, a Navy veteran who once worked for the FBI, coordinated a planned armed response and engaged in reconnoitering the Capitol, prosecutors said.
—Ella Lee, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023
The paddlers quickly pulled off to the right bank, secured the canoes and set up camp, while a scouting party hacked their way through the brush to reconnoiter.
—Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023
Beginning in late 2026, Hera will reconnoiter both Dimorphos and Didymos to take measurements of the rocks and show how DART changed the system.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Mar. 2023
Along the way the spacecraft will scrutinize Saturn’s mysterious and spectacular rings and reconnoiter its many satellite worlds, especially Titan — the largest moon in the solar system and, it is believed, the only one with its own atmosphere.
—Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020
In August, with the approach of spring, the expedition continued to reconnoiter the forbidding coast.
—Gerard Helferich, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022
Russia is reportedly using other, non-loitering drones, such as the Orlan-10, to reconnoiter Ukrainian positions.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 28 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reconnoiter
Verb
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Stargazers hoping to explore the phases of Venus and the night sky for themselves should read our roundup of the best telescopes for amateur astronomy in 2025.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 July 2025
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For those who are craving a little more speed, jet skiing is another great way to explore the region.—
Rana Good,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The 79-year-old has more pressing things on his to-do list at the moment, like walking (and slightly limping) up and down the sidelines during training camp at Grand Park while scouting this year’s Colts.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
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Loya took his new criminal career seriously, scouting out locations near highways for quick getaways.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reconnoiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reconnoiter. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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