as in surveillance
military activity in which soldiers, airplanes, etc., are sent to find out information about an enemy
There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance. reconnaissance missions
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Recent Examples of reconnaissance
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
—
Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
One day, the U.S. Army veteran and recipient of two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart decided to go back to his roots and leave the office on a reconnaissance mission.
—Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Pacific Aero Products changed its name in 1917 to Boeing Airplane Company and provided the U.S. Navy with Model C reconnaissance aircraft during World War I. After the war, the company sold furniture and even flat-bottom boats in the first of its downturns.
—John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
In the hours shortly after the F-15 went down, the operation also included 12 U.S. fighter jets, five rescue planes and four aircraft working to jam enemy communications and carry out intelligence and reconnaissance operations.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance
Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
One day, the U.S. Army veteran and recipient of two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart decided to go back to his roots and leave the office on a reconnaissance mission.
—Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Pacific Aero Products changed its name in 1917 to Boeing Airplane Company and provided the U.S. Navy with Model C reconnaissance aircraft during World War I. After the war, the company sold furniture and even flat-bottom boats in the first of its downturns.
—John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
In the hours shortly after the F-15 went down, the operation also included 12 U.S. fighter jets, five rescue planes and four aircraft working to jam enemy communications and carry out intelligence and reconnaissance operations.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reconnaissance
Noun
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Greg Thomas, chief executive of ChainSentry, a firm that conducts gray-market surveillance of semiconductor supply chains, said export controls have created an artificial scarcity that has made advanced chips almost irresistible to smugglers.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Despite these observations, Walter was not seen by a doctor until two days after his injuries occurred.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
The comparison to woodpeckers emerged naturally from these observations.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reconnaissance. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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