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
This time, though, the idea isn't just brief contact and exploratory surveys, but a sustained lunar presence, and the agency recently announced a long-term roadmap for building a $20 billion permanent lunar base.
—
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Jassy also recognized that his brand of exploratory thinking is easier said than done for today’s young workers.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Minnesota regulators approved the company’s exploratory plans in December.
—Todd Richmond, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Rather than being organized by standard merchandising categories, the assortment is presented through the lens of era, size, and style, encouraging a more exploratory way of shopping.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Jassy also recognized that his brand of exploratory thinking is easier said than done for today’s young workers.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Minnesota regulators approved the company’s exploratory plans in December.
—Todd Richmond, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Rather than being organized by standard merchandising categories, the assortment is presented through the lens of era, size, and style, encouraging a more exploratory way of shopping.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploratory
Adjective
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Instead, this latest effort represents the incremental progress essential to experimental science, where errors and uncertainties are identified and quantified, and future generations of scientists can build upon it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
-
The search was prompted by soil vapor sampling, an experimental technology that detected volatile organic compounds potentially associated with decomposing human remains — though the method remains unproven in criminal investigations.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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The process, governed by the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, requires law enforcement officials to balance various interests when deciding whether to release a record — including public interest, privacy concerns and investigative value, among other factors.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But as the novel slips into a more speculative mode, Nora is transported to an asylum in the French countryside of 1946.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
Six months ago, people arguing that AI was a bubble were pointing to real-world facts, whereas people arguing against the bubble hypothesis were making speculative promises about the future.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The tentative contract still needs to be voted on by its members.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
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The union agreed to a deal about a month after the Writers Guild of America announced its tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors presented DNA evidence matching blood found on the rim of Alnaji’s megaphone to Kessler.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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His preliminary hearing readiness has been set for May 13, and the preliminary hearing will follow on July 22, said officials from the district attorney’s office.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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With all of the film’s complicated theoretical physics and flowery musings about the power of love and time, going melodramatic could push the film into eyeroll territory.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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The emergence of synthetic performers such as Tilly Norwood reflects how quickly those questions have moved from theoretical to practical.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploratory. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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