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

The police are staking out a building where criminal activity is suspected.

3

: to claim as one's own

staked out the biggest bedroom as his

4

: to mark the limits of (an area) with stakes

staking out where the shed will be built

5

: to state (one's opinion) in a very clear and definite way

She staked out her position on the issue in the speech.

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

The stakeout ended with an arrest, when police spotted Savion Drinkwater, 29, leaving the area with a gun, according to court records. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026

An overnight stakeout on a deserted winter beach, a mystery creature ripping line for close to an hour, an angler refusing to quit, and then the moment a drone rises over the water and delivers the answer. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026

Verb

Our writers have staked out their predictions for the season below. —The Athletic, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Many of the Democrats running in the state’s redrawn congressional districts staked out a similar position. —Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

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