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
After visiting to scope out the site, Mast’s staff proposed to replant the whole acreage, free, and even pay Mr. Harland a bit at the end.
—
Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Social media has increasingly allowed companies to more easily scope out and target niche groups of consumers in an increasingly fragmented market, said Alexander Chernev, a professor of marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
Back in the kitchen, Savannah was feeling a little inferior when scoping out the Red Team’s technical dishes, like Kévin’s stunning olive canapes, which were brought to the judges first next to her cucumber-melon salad.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2024
Nearby, Lizzo and her boyfriend scoped out the dance floor and were later seen linking their arms while taking a shot together.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024
Whenever possible, scope out photos of the inventory in advance.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
Nothing is random The gang thoroughly scopes out homes beforehand.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
High-Stakes Casino Games – 4.8/5 If the games and layout look a little familiar after scoping out Slots.lv, that’s okay.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
He was tasked with briefing arriving infantry troops and conducting reconnaissance missions to scope out fallback locations.
—Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024
Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Social media has increasingly allowed companies to more easily scope out and target niche groups of consumers in an increasingly fragmented market, said Alexander Chernev, a professor of marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
Back in the kitchen, Savannah was feeling a little inferior when scoping out the Red Team’s technical dishes, like Kévin’s stunning olive canapes, which were brought to the judges first next to her cucumber-melon salad.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2024
Nearby, Lizzo and her boyfriend scoped out the dance floor and were later seen linking their arms while taking a shot together.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024
Whenever possible, scope out photos of the inventory in advance.
—Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
Nothing is random The gang thoroughly scopes out homes beforehand.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
High-Stakes Casino Games – 4.8/5 If the games and layout look a little familiar after scoping out Slots.lv, that’s okay.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
He was tasked with briefing arriving infantry troops and conducting reconnaissance missions to scope out fallback locations.
—Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scope out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Scope out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scope%20out. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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