exploratory

adjective

Definition of exploratorynext
as in experimental
done or created to find something or to learn more about something exploratory drilling for oil

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of exploratory And that kind of thing is more exploratory — talking to people, that sort of stuff. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026 Over the next two decades, Jemison, now 43, would see a range of doctors and undergo dozens of tests and exploratory procedures. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Sep. 2026 The raccoon used her paws to repeatedly dunk the receipt into a bowl of water (a common exploratory behavior). — Isabel Gil, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2026 Under that setup, Ascheim became WarnerMedia’s senior rep in its relationship with Rowling and her representatives, and exploratory conversations for a Max series got underway. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploratory
  1. experimental
  2. investigative
  3. speculative
  4. tentative
  5. preliminary
  6. theoretical
Adjective
  • Its experimental Little Blue Menu concept served traditional Chick-fil-A menu items along with burgers, pizza and onion rings; the chain will convert its final location into a traditional Chick-fil-A next year.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The one-day event will screen 12 shorts from seven countries, with documentaries, dramas, comedies, animation and experimental pieces in the mix.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of experimental
Adjective
  • Those new details were included in the lengthy confidential investigative report compiled by Cornell and reviewed by ABC News.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Many of the 175 findings in the report will not come as a surprise to those who have followed the flurry of lawsuits, investigative news reports and city and county after-action reviews.
    — Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of investigative
Adjective
  • These platforms are colonizing existing speculative spaces—like election results and sporting outcomes—while profiting from areas of asymmetrical knowledge that were previously not possible to monetize.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For its movie, Neon plans to focus on emerging filmmakers to contribute to the anthology feature based on the sprawling SCP Wiki launched in 2008 as a collaborative and speculative fiction website.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of speculative
Adjective
  • The Society for Popular Astronomy lists a tentative zenithal hourly rate of around 10 at maximum in 2026.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Avila’s lawyer, Nancy Doumanian, previously disputed the judge’s tentative finding that there was insufficient evidence Avila had suffered permanent nerve damage.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of tentative
Adjective
  • Heading into this week, investors will be watching for minutes from the Fed's September meeting on Wednesday and the University of Michigan's preliminary October consumer sentiment reading, due Friday.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The decision on whether to enable Northwestern’s plans came down to Evanston’s City Council, which in October 2023 tied at a preliminary vote.
    — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of preliminary
Adjective
  • The dizzying evolution of AI picks up speed when Ilya gets Sam worked up about next-level AGI, or Artificial General Intelligence, theoretical technology with human-level cognitive capabilities.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Each resolves or makes substantial progress on a major open question in mathematics or theoretical computer science, the company says.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of theoretical

Browse Nearby Words

explorations
exploratory
explore
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Cite this Entry

“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploratory. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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