surveil

verb

sur·​veil sər-ˈvāl How to pronounce surveil (audio)
surveilled; surveilling

transitive verb

: to subject to surveillance

Examples of surveil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Federal officials face a looming threat of foreign nationals utilizing drones to surveil United States military bases after two recent arrests and a string of mysterious incursions suggest the country’s airspace is ill-equipped to handle the rapidly evolving technology. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025 Chair Andrew Ferguson withdrew a request for comment on a study looking into how companies surveil the shopping habits of consumers online and offer dynamic pricing as a result. Maria Curi, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025 Given the challenges coming from Beijing, justices said Washington was within its power to deny it one of its strongest toeholds out of concern that it could be used to surveil Americans, steal their secrets, and feed them a stream of propaganda useful to China’s big-picture goals. Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025 As John and Celina work to keep their cop identities under wraps yet also manage the potentially explosive situation, Lt. Wade Grey (Richard T. Jones) and rookie Miles Penn (Deric Augustine) surveil the action from a van. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surveil

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from surveillance

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surveil was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surveil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surveil. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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