reconnaissance
noun
re·con·nais·sance
ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s 
-sən(t)s
: a preliminary survey to gain information
especially
: an exploratory military survey of enemy territory
Examples of reconnaissance in a Sentence
There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance.
They did a reconnaissance of the enemy's position.
Recent Examples on the Web
Satellite imagery, drone reconnaissance, and signals intelligence can pinpoint vulnerabilities, enabling impactful, low-risk strikes.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
We had been directed by the Lebanese army—which maintains a reconnaissance and policing role in the south—to go to the Rest House, a gated resort.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
Last spring, during one of my reconnaissance trips to Los Angeles, a friend suddenly gripped my elbow like an evangelist.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
In 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis began when a U.S. U-2 reconnaissance aircraft captured photographic evidence of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reconnaissance 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
We had been directed by the Lebanese army—which maintains a reconnaissance and policing role in the south—to go to the Rest House, a gated resort.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
Last spring, during one of my reconnaissance trips to Los Angeles, a friend suddenly gripped my elbow like an evangelist.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
In 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis began when a U.S. U-2 reconnaissance aircraft captured photographic evidence of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reconnaissance
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Dictionary Entries Near reconnaissance
Cite this Entry
“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconnaissance. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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reconnaissance
noun
re·con·nais·sance
ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s
: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information
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