explore
Americanverb (used with object)
-
explores,
present (3rd person singular)
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explored,
past participle, past
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exploring
present participle
-
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)
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explores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
explored,
past participle, past
-
exploring
present participle
verb
-
(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
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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:
Based on the whistleblower’s account, authorities began to explore whether Guggenheim Investments, partly owned by TWG, might have used misleading contracts to inflate its revenue and secure a better deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
We have a few great ones in SoCal I encourage everyone to explore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
She sought to inspire her audience to find “third spaces,” and explore some of her favorite locales: museums, bookstores, cafes, concerts and the like, and foster community in the process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Among them are catalogs covering black holes, stars, and interstellar gas, along with new visualizations and scientific tools designed to help users explore the enormous dataset.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
There was still more that he wanted to explore in the Amazon jungle.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Their conversation explores characters who hide their true nature behind carefully constructed personas, the role of technology in enabling obsession and revenge, and the social rituals that define contemporary London.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
The documentary also explores the damage being done to the planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The financing gives the Yankees access to capital as the franchise explores strategic opportunities, Hal Steinbrenner, chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises, said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
In his new book, First Dogs: Hunter-Gatherers and their Canine Companions from Prehistory to the Present, archaeologist Professor Peter Mitchell explores dog domestication as a complicated and gradual process.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Additionally, the book explores ways of applying music-making to benefit the whole child, i.e., socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and linguistically.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
That verdict was abundantly clear recently when AstraZeneca AZN 2.05%increase; up pointing triangle shares plunged following a Financial Times report that it had explored a merger with Bristol Myers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
“Some of life’s most extraordinary relationships are friendships, where unconditional love is present and trust is gained and earned. It’s not often explored between a straight man and a straight woman onscreen.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
A later study explored several global warming scenarios.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
In one 2022 study, researchers explored whether increasing agreeableness would decrease levels of what is called the dark triad — or Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
The entrapment occurs in three distinct phases, each of which has been explored earlier, but a brief review is useful here.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
“There’s no paid staff, and we mostly support niche tech projects, like people exploring new ways to preserve trees in Morocco or to regeneratively regrow a pasture in Oregon,” Khosla told me.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
These were the findings of a note exploring the wealth effect published Monday by Montreal-based investment research firm BCA.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
LA28 said in a statement it is focused on building upon UCLA’s existing accessibility foundation while exploring additional modifications and services to support Paralympic athletes and team officials, such as temporary ramps and modified restrooms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
But the board also started exploring succession options.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
His day of exploring would have to be postponed.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
