as in experimental
done or created to find something or to learn more about something
exploratory drilling for oil
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Recent Examples of exploratory
On one side of Weir stood Garcia and his endless exploratory guitar solos, on the other Phil Lesh and his basslines informed by his classical, jazz, and avant garde music education.
—
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the interim government has urged calm and unity while signaling tentative engagement with Washington, including exploratory diplomatic contacts and discussions about reopening embassies.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
Michelin also recommends an exploratory road trip in Florida, which is covered in a separate guide.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Major oil exploratory companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips rose between 2% and 4%.
—Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, the interim government has urged calm and unity while signaling tentative engagement with Washington, including exploratory diplomatic contacts and discussions about reopening embassies.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
Michelin also recommends an exploratory road trip in Florida, which is covered in a separate guide.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
Major oil exploratory companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips rose between 2% and 4%.
—Michelle Chapman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploratory
Adjective
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What emerges is a solar market that is no longer experimental, but operational at scale, economically durable, and structurally embedded in the global energy system.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
That hope, of direct experimental confirmation, is only possible if dark matter interacts with either itself or normal matter in a way that leaves a detectable signature.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The House Ethics Committee announced the findings of its investigative subcommittee on Thursday.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Golf’s resurgence isn’t being carried by a single superstar or a speculative building boom.—
Steve Skinner,
Sportico.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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For institutions and individuals to look to crypto as anything more than a speculative asset, the technology must have legitimate use cases and outperform existing solutions.—
Matthew Kayser,
Freep.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
However, nurses have indicated that the strike will continue until at least tentative contract agreements are reached.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
26 Jan. 2026
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Here the answer was a nervous and tentative yes.—
Hermione Hoby,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Provincial transport department official Siboniso Duma said in a statement that 11 people, including a schoolchild, died at the scene, although that was according to preliminary information.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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The coroner also said the preliminary cause of death included intrauterine fetal demise caused by her injuries.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As with every cycle, some schools will benefit more than others from district realignment, but Carter said getting too wrapped up in theoretical scenarios doesn’t serve much purpose.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
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Originally, this was a great mystery, as cosmic rays were known to be composed almost exclusively of protons, and the theoretical limit on a proton that traveled through intergalactic space should forbid such excessively high energies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploratory. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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