surveil

verb

Definition of surveilnext
as in to monitor

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of surveil There have been reports of police misuse of the technology, including those accused of searching the database to surveil their intimate partners or exes. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 Hamilton County Public Health will continue to surveil the area and treat standing bodies of water with larvicide to prevent mosquito breeding. — Esther Launstein, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Aug. 2026 Flock cameras have become the latest cultural flash point over the past several weeks as fears grow over their use to surveil the public. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026 The Electronic Frontier Foundation found in a public records search that ALPR data was used to verify student residency requirements, investigate noise complaints, do background checks, and surveil protesters, immigrants, and more. — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surveil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surveil
  1. monitor
  2. spy
  3. snoop
Verb
  • The department under President Biden monitored 64 jurisdictions in 24 states on Election Day in the last midterm year, 2022.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For all its tests, the company builds realistic simulated environments, red teams these environments itself and with third parties to see whether they can be escaped, and monitors what agents do.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of monitor
Verb
  • The actress provided the voice of a technologically advanced, data-spying smart refrigerator.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Set the scene Eagle-eyed arrivals will first spy the new Six Senses across the improbably blue waters of northern Ibiza’s Cala Xarraca.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of spy
Verb
  • Its biggest selling point is the brand-new Privacy Display feature, which can dim screen visibility from the side and make snooping nearly impossible.
    — Nitish Pahwa, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • That’s my interpretation of one reason for the revelation that those who claim to have nothing to hide are much more likely to snoop on others.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of snoop

Browse Nearby Words

surtouts
surveil
surveillance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surveil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surveil. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All