scope out

British

verb

to assess the potential of an opportunity or suggestion

a scoping-out study

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He stayed with the engine while the captain and two firefighters went to scope out the area.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

This meant shoppers had to scope out two sections of the store to outfit their rooms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Then parliament appoints an "informateur" to scope out the possible contours of a coalition agreement.

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

He said that agents usually scope out a campaign event’s venue days in advance to develop a security plan that is then shared with local police agencies.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2024

“I’m going to scope out the area. Make sure it’s safe.”

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023