EXPLORATORY Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

exploratory

adjective

Definition of exploratory

as in experimental

done or created to find something or to learn more about something exploratory drilling for oil

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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

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

Santiago, Clark said, is the first person to be convicted by a jury in New York State because of the use of investigative genetic genealogy.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration and Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming have been locked in a months-long dispute over the watchdog’s access to city records and the scope of her investigative authority.

— Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 18 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

The Orland High School District 230 board unanimously approved a $198 million budget Thursday, a slight increase from the tentative budget presented last month as some fund sources were updated.

— Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, which represents nearly all major employee unions in state government, notified rank-and-file members of the tentative understanding Thursday morning.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 18 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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“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploratory. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of exploratory

adjective

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