exploratory
adjective
ex·plor·ato·ry
ik-ˈsplȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē 
: of, relating to, or being exploration
exploratory surgery
exploratory drilling for oil
Examples of exploratory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The mountain's moderate pitch creates ideal conditions for exploratory cruising across 3,170 acres of skiable terrain and 100 conventional trails.
—
Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
The largest tech companies, such as Google, can fund exploratory research but without the same breadth of subjects or tolerance for failure—and these giants are the exception, not the norm.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
And as four-fifths of CEOs reported apologizing for Trump’s behavior to their international counterparts, some of those same longtime foreign trade partners are having exploratory conversations with China to expand commercial ties.
—Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Image The Metals Company, which is publicly traded, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on exploratory work in the Pacific Ocean, in an area known as the Clarion Clipperton Zone, a remote spot between Mexico and Hawaii.
—Eric Lipton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
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Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
The largest tech companies, such as Google, can fund exploratory research but without the same breadth of subjects or tolerance for failure—and these giants are the exception, not the norm.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
And as four-fifths of CEOs reported apologizing for Trump’s behavior to their international counterparts, some of those same longtime foreign trade partners are having exploratory conversations with China to expand commercial ties.
—Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Image The Metals Company, which is publicly traded, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on exploratory work in the Pacific Ocean, in an area known as the Clarion Clipperton Zone, a remote spot between Mexico and Hawaii.
—Eric Lipton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Cite this Entry
“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exploratory. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
exploratory
adjective
ex·plor·ato·ry
ik-ˈsplōr-ə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˈsplȯr-, -ˌtȯr-
: of, relating to, or being exploration
exploratory surgery
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