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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Recent Examples of reconnoiter
What kind of action plan is visualized to reconnoiter that object?
—
Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025
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
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
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
Squat under the brush; bend to see around branches and trees; crawl to reconnoiter dense thickets.
46.
—Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2019
Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2025
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
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
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
Squat under the brush; bend to see around branches and trees; crawl to reconnoiter dense thickets.
46.
—Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reconnoiter
Verb
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Sydney, meanwhile, wants to continue exploring her connection to Xzavier.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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Barrow, a prominent voice in skate culture, also hosts a series with Thrasher Magazine exploring skate spots around the world.—
Loureen Ayyoub,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The marks, which are sandwiched between towers once used to scout for armies and to allow archers and other artillery-throwers to fend off enemy incursions, are arrayed in a way that suggests they may have been left by a repeating dart-thrower called a polybolos.—
Taylor Mitchell Brown,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
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Rene Morales, senior curatorial fellow at the Bakehouse Art Complex in Wynwood and former chief curator at PAMM, recently swung by for a studio visit with Palazzolo-Daboul, and, intrigued, ended up scouting out the rest of Tunnel.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reconnoiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reconnoiter. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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