stakeout

1 of 2

noun

stake·​out ˈstāk-ˌau̇t 

: a surveillance maintained by the police of an area or a person suspected of criminal activity

stake out

2 of 2

verb

staked out; staking out; stakes out

transitive verb

1

: to assign (someone, such as a police officer) to an area usually to conduct a surveillance

2

: to maintain a stakeout of

3

: to claim as one's own

Examples of stakeout in a Sentence

Noun

The drug deal was witnessed during a stakeout of the building.

The police were on a stakeout.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Grogu, with a telescope in hand, is then seen standing beside Djarin in an apparent stakeout mission. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025

However, the peace vigil in Lafayette Park stands out as a permanent stakeout for free speech and is widely known as the longest continuous act of political protest in U.S. history. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 5 Sep. 2025

Verb

Powell himself has previously weighed in on the AI jobs debate, which saw predictions of a 50% wipeout of white-collar jobs and a fourth industrial revolution creating a bounty of new positions, by staking out a middle position. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025

Brands such as Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, McLaren and others stake out some of the most stunning homes and estates around Pebble Beach to host guests throughout Monterey Car Week. —Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1942, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stakeout

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