surveil

verb

sur·​veil sər-ˈvāl How to pronounce surveil (audio)
surveilled; surveilling
Synonyms of surveilnext

transitive verb

: to subject to surveillance

Examples of surveil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Now, the men guard their towns from mountain watch posts and surveil 100 cartel gunmen camped out a few miles (kilometers) away using their own drones. ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026 Now, the men guard their towns from mountain watch posts and surveil 100 cartel gunmen camped out a few miles away using their own drones. Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 Anthropic was happy to permit a role for Claude to surveil individuals under the jurisdiction of a FISA court, a secretive tribunal that oversees requests for surveillance warrants involving foreign powers or their agents on domestic soil. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026 Civil liberties groups, however, continue to accuse the company of doing the opposite—by helping the government surveil. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surveil

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from surveillance

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surveil was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surveil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surveil. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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