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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 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 At this stage, the project remains exploratory, and the available information does not establish an economic deposit or future source of supply. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 The participating organizations have agreed to an initial 12-month exploratory phase to determine which technologies, training programs, and career pathways should be developed. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 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
  • Breaking the sound barrier is only the beginning Making a passenger aircraft fly at Mach 2 is considerably more complicated than demonstrating supersonic flight with a fighter or small experimental aircraft.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Transparent footwear is an experimental style that came about in the 50s and 60s.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of experimental
Adjective
  • Hanaway’s office issued civil investigative demands to ActBlue seeking documents and information related to its donation-processing and fraud-prevention practices.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Separately, the lawyers are asking that the judge force prosecutors to turn over statements, investigative reports and other evidence involving Pierre and the others who are newly charged.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of investigative
Adjective
  • That ultimately became Exit Party, a speculative story about a dystopian not-so-distant future in which the government of the United States has collapsed and Los Angeles has become something of a refugee camp from the latent civil war.
    — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
  • With two more elections going against the CDU, and Merz’s popularity plunging, that assessment seems less speculative.
    — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of speculative
Adjective
  • Doumanian disputed the judge’s tentative finding that there was insufficient evidence Avila had suffered permanent nerve damage.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The city of Fort Worth and the union representing its firefighters have reached a tentative agreement on a contract after a months-long bargaining process.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of tentative
Adjective
  • The Virginia Tech swimmer finished 17th in the preliminary round of the 500-yard freestyle, one place outside the 16-swimmer finals field.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The project has not yet received final approval from the National Capital Area Planning Commission, which greenlighted the site and preliminary plans at its July meeting.
    — Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of preliminary
Adjective
  • In fact, the ability to see the curve from 25 meters away may only hold in perfect theoretical conditions—such as a single high-contrast line on a two-dimensional surface.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This lowers the cost of the trade and increases the position's theoretical probability of profit to ~56%.
    — Julia Spina, CNBC, 22 Sep. 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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