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 Those kinds of problem-solving and listening skills took Brian Fork on a similarly exploratory career path. — Douglas A. Hicks, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 This shift is reframing AI video from an exploratory tool into a more dependable part of the production pipeline. — New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026 Eliminating students’ exploratory freedom doesn’t just abstractly limit their creativity. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 County officials emphasized that the project remains in its exploratory phase. — Bytony Atkins, ABC News, 30 July 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
  • What starts as a reasonable desire to prevent disease can escalate into constant testing and rigid routines built around an ever-growing roster of supplements and experimental remedies.
    — John Vorwald, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After the experimental procedure, John missed the entire 1975 season before returning to the big leagues and pitching all the way through the 1989 season.
    — Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of experimental
Adjective
  • Randall, now 48, was allowed to visit her son despite having prior convictions for manslaughter, assault and cruelty to a child, and having a warrant for her arrest issued by San Bernardino County authorities, according to an investigative report.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Mills is also facing scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee, which has investigated him since August 2024 and established an investigative subcommittee in November 2025.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of investigative
Adjective
  • Her work often blends documentary research with speculative fiction to explore technology, institutions, and cultural memory.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Many millennial and Gen Z collectors also view collector cars as speculative trades rather than long-term stores of value.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of speculative
Adjective
  • Less than 48 hours later, the district approved a tentative contract with the teachers union, promising double-digit wage increases for educators over the next two years.
    — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The tentative budget is available for viewing online and in-person at the district’s Administrative Center, at 310 Seminary Ave.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of tentative
Adjective
  • An inmate ran out of a preliminary hearing at the Fairfield Courthouse Tuesday afternoon, knocking down a deputy district attorney and making it out of the courtroom before he was quickly apprehended, the Solano County Sheriff's Office said.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The filings come in the wake of a week-long preliminary hearing in early July aimed at determining whether there is enough probable cause to send the case to trial.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of preliminary
Adjective
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 2nd House of Resources, making spending, pricing, comfort, and self-worth feel more practical than theoretical.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The public comments came shortly after Fauci had privately raised the theoretical possibility that fever and cytokine-related reactions after a second vaccine dose could be associated with first-trimester miscarriage.
    — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of theoretical

Browse Nearby Words

explorations
exploratory
explore
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exploratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploratory. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of exploratory for Spanish Speakers

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