1 B1 idiomatic informal
To visit or observe a place in advance in order to assess it or gather information.
"We went to scope out the new restaurant before deciding to book it for the office party."
separable
scope out
B1 informal separable transitive
To examine, investigate, or survey a place or situation carefully, especially before taking action.
In plain English
To look at a place or situation carefully to understand it before deciding what to do.
What does "scope out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To evaluate or assess a person, situation, or opportunity carefully.
"She spent the first hour at the networking event scoping out potential business partners."
separable
3 C1 idiomatic neutral
(Project management) To formally exclude something from the defined boundaries of a project or plan.
"The team decided to scope out the API integration for now and address it in phase two."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To look outward through a scope (like a telescope) — the metaphor of deliberate, far-sighted observation is fairly transparent.
Actually means
To look at a place or situation carefully to understand it before deciding what to do.
Usage tip
Very common in informal American English. Used before visiting a restaurant, venue, or competition. Also used in a business/project sense to mean excluding something from scope, but the reconnaissance meaning is far more common.
Words that pair with "scope out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
venue competition area location situation place
How to conjugate "scope out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
scope out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
scopes out
he/she/it
Past simple
scoped out
yesterday
Past participle
scoped out
have + pp
-ing form
scoping out
continuous
Hear "scope out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "scope out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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