explore
Americanverb (used with object)
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to traverse or range over (a region, area, etc.) for the purpose of discovery.
to explore the island.
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to look into closely; scrutinize; examine.
Let us explore the possibilities for improvement.
- Synonyms:
- survey, investigate, research, study, probe
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Surgery. to investigate into, especially mechanically, as with a probe.
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Obsolete. to search for; search out.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to examine or investigate, esp systematically
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to travel to or into (unfamiliar or unknown regions), esp for organized scientific purposes
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(tr) med to examine (an organ or part) for diagnostic purposes
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obsolete (tr) to search for or out
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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explorabilitynoun
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explorernoun
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reexploreverb
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explorableadjective
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unexplorableadjective
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unexploredadjective
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exploringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exploresimple
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exploressimple
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have exploredperfect
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has exploredperfect
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am exploringprogressive
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are exploringprogressive
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is exploringprogressive
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have been exploringperfect progressive
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has been exploringperfect progressive
Past
-
exploredsimple
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had exploredperfect
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was exploringprogressive
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were exploringprogressive
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had been exploringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of explore
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin explōrāre “to search out, examine,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 ( def. ) + plōrāre “to cry out,” probably originally with reference to hunting cries
Explanation
Explore is a verb that means "to travel in or through." You might explore an island, a European city, or the rooms of an unfamiliar house. The Latin root of explore is explorare, meaning "investigate or search out." When you explore a new place, you want to see interesting things and get to know its people. Whenever you delve into something, or investigate it, you explore it. You can even explore an interest, like when you explore African art, or explore an idea or tendency in order to understand it — you can explore your fear of snakes to try to get over it.
Vocabulary lists containing explore
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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Words Middle Schoolers Should Use for Comparing and Contrasting Texts
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As this series continues to explore how ordinary Americans—not just nine justices—can interpret and enforce the Constitution, the campaign for equal marriage offers examples and tools that dedicated citizens can use to make constitutional meaning.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026
Love has always been central to FLO's music, but on this album they explore its messier realities, with nights out providing the backdrop for stories of heartbreak, healing and friendship.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
“We will explore all available options to ensure we can serve the tens of thousands of Angelenos who depend on our service,” the statement reads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Alternative-discipline proponents stress that restorative justice means school officials must no longer deliver consequences to misbehaving students; instead, they must explore restoration with them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The forest is calling me, inviting me to explore.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
In this special three-part podcast, “AI and the Blurring of Reality,” Wall Street Journal personal-technology columnist Nicole Nguyen explores the ways that artificial intelligence is warping our understanding of what is real.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
One of them, “Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation,” explores how culture, across print, visual art and performance, has interpreted and shaped Black queer social and political movements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
ARIRANG, named after a South Korean folk song, includes mostly English lyrics but explores themes including Korean identity after the band's hiatus for mandatory military service.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Dhar explores that question in his book, “Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI,” and on his podcast and newsletter, “Brave New World.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
He needs to know what the author is trying to accomplish as she explores the topic.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
“Today I have put aside my plush ball in search of the real,” Gelsomina thinks, amusingly invoking semioticians such as Jean Baudrillard, who explored simulacra and authenticity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
These explored difficult aspects of American history — including slavery and Jim Crow — but also touched on more personal themes of family, memory, magic and spirituality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The discovery of Masripithecus moghraensis suggests that important parts of ape evolutionary history may remain buried in regions that paleontologists have not yet explored in depth.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Sherman’s March” loosely explored McElwee’s hapless search for love during a trip to his native South, where he planned on making a film about a Civil War campaign through the area.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
The little ones explored the little patch of woods while Dicey studied the map.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Chevron executives spoke of such alternatives to Hormuz, as the company has been exploring being one of the investors in the construction of a pipeline to connect Iraq’s oil fields to the Syrian coast.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Some are cutting back on other expenses or exploring side hustles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The miner is also exploring infrastructure sales, including a plan to offload its stake in an Australian desalination plant announced Monday, which will count toward the $5 billion target, Trott said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Both the Northern and Western trusts said they are exploring ways to improve the experiences women with fertility struggles will have attending their services.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The men speculated it must have belonged to one of the rubber gatherers who had been out exploring the area.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
