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
These are not exploratory inquiries.
—
Imri Marcus, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
To confirm that your potatoes are ready for harvest, do a little exploratory digging and check the skin.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 June 2026
Much of what many companies are spending on AI right now is exploratory, not transformative.
—Gil Mandelzis, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The vehicle can carry two astronauts side-by-side who can easily get in and out of the vehicle for exploratory missions.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Imri Marcus, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
To confirm that your potatoes are ready for harvest, do a little exploratory digging and check the skin.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 June 2026
Much of what many companies are spending on AI right now is exploratory, not transformative.
—Gil Mandelzis, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The vehicle can carry two astronauts side-by-side who can easily get in and out of the vehicle for exploratory missions.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploratory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploratory
Adjective
-
Five orphaned black bears from Nevada, El Dorado and Calaveras counties survived winter hibernation and were healthy and active following an experimental rehabilitation effort, California wildlife officials said.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
This year’s 10-day-long edition brought together an international slate of independent films across narrative, documentary, animation, experimental and short-form categories.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Veracruz State Attorney General's Office confirmed that prosecutors, forensic experts and investigative police officers were looking for the journalist.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Attorneys have argued that CBP revealed enough information through the investigative summaries prepared by the Texas Rangers and a report released by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility.—
Josh Margolin,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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For companies and capital allocators alike, treating fundamental science as a speculative luxury rather than a core strategic imperative is a critical misstep.—
Alexandra Vidyuk,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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More than $233 million worth of the perp changed hands over the past 24 hours, while open interest climbed above $263 million, indicating sustained speculative demand.—
Ashley Capoot,CJ Haddad,Samantha Subin,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
And yet, a skeptic can indulge in some tentative celebration.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
-
American and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative deal last week to extend their ceasefire, but the agreement has not been finalized.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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The National Weather Service said tornadoes had been confirmed in mostly rural areas southwest of Chicago, with some preliminary reports of buildings damaged in Streator, a manufacturing and farm city about 100 miles away.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
This was a preliminary, phase one clinical trial, so there was still a long way to go to confirm that this approach really could achieve what its inventors hoped—stopping an invader dead in its tracks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The cycle resembled theoretical versions of a Big Bang followed by a Big Crunch, a scenario in which the universe’s expansion eventually reverses.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
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Though theoretical predictions suggest quantum systems could accelerate AI optimization tasks by 10^6 or more for specific problem classes, quantum machine learning remains experimental.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploratory. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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