reconnoiter

variants or reconnoitre
as in to explore
to go to (a place or area) in order to find out information especially about a military enemy; to do a reconnaissance of (a place) An expedition reconnoitered the coast to find out the exact location of enemy forces.

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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 reconnoiter What kind of action plan is visualized to reconnoiter that object? Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025 Squat under the brush; bend to see around branches and trees; crawl to reconnoiter dense thickets. 46. Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2019 Thomas Caldwell Thomas Caldwell, a Navy veteran who once worked for the FBI, coordinated a planned armed response and engaged in reconnoitering the Capitol, prosecutors said. Ella Lee, USA TODAY, 26 May 2023 The paddlers quickly pulled off to the right bank, secured the canoes and set up camp, while a scouting party hacked their way through the brush to reconnoiter. Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023 Beginning in late 2026, Hera will reconnoiter both Dimorphos and Didymos to take measurements of the rocks and show how DART changed the system. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Mar. 2023 Along the way the spacecraft will scrutinize Saturn’s mysterious and spectacular rings and reconnoiter its many satellite worlds, especially Titan — the largest moon in the solar system and, it is believed, the only one with its own atmosphere. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020 In August, with the approach of spring, the expedition continued to reconnoiter the forbidding coast. Gerard Helferich, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Russia is reportedly using other, non-loitering drones, such as the Orlan-10, to reconnoiter Ukrainian positions. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 28 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reconnoiter
Verb
  • The spot was known to local indigenous farmers, but was never explored in depth by researchers because of its unassuming location.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • Companies that stop exploring eventually watch others in their field eat their lunch.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Jesse Buss and his scouting department found value in late first-round picks like Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma as well as an undrafted star in Austin Reaves.
    Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
  • Walter is expected to add revenue to the scouting department, coaching staff, front office staff, and more.
    Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reconnoiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reconnoiter. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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