scope out

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

For lunch, dig into bison chili or smoked brisket nachos at Jacobs Brewhouse and Grocer, and scope out their pastry case for fresh peach cake too. — Jacqueline Kehoe, Midwest Living, 19 Aug. 2026

John has to hop a flight and rent a car to get to Rushville, where Hal has been for hours scoping out the aftermath of a shooting at a high school football game. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

That achievement will matter well beyond this mission, because NASA is scoping out future missions to the lunar South Pole, where water in the form of ice sits locked in craters that haven’t seen sunlight in billions of years. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026

One way to scope out an organization’s style vibe is to check its social media accounts or website to see what employees wear. — Cathy Bussewitz, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for scope out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout