stake·out
ˈstāk-ˌau̇t 
: a surveillance maintained by the police of an area or a person suspected of criminal activity
staked out; staking out; stakes out
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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Ahead of the vote, the representatives of more than four dozen countries gathered at a media stakeout to show support for both the Gang Suppression Force, GSF, and the U.N. Support Office.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 13 Dec. 2025
Next, stake out a patch of sky 30-40 degrees above Castor, where the trails of shooting stars will be at their longest.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stakeout
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
At one point, the camera slow-zooms in on the suspect’s house, while Shackleton details a stakeout.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Ahead of the vote, the representatives of more than four dozen countries gathered at a media stakeout to show support for both the Gang Suppression Force, GSF, and the U.N. Support Office.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
The federales, who had evacuated the village because the operation was so dangerous, were ecstatic; they’d been staked out for weeks.
—Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 13 Dec. 2025
Next, stake out a patch of sky 30-40 degrees above Castor, where the trails of shooting stars will be at their longest.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stakeout
Cite this Entry
“Stakeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stakeout. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share