stake·out
ˈstāk-ˌau̇t 
: a surveillance maintained by the police of an area or a person suspected of criminal activity
staked out; staking out; stakes out
1
: to assign (someone, such as a police officer) to an area usually to conduct a surveillance
2
: to maintain a stakeout of
3
: to claim as one's own
Examples of stakeout in a Sentence
Noun
The drug deal was witnessed during a stakeout of the building.
The police were on a stakeout.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
So do your homework and maybe even a little undercover stakeout.
—Teja Chekuri, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
According to the complaint, detectives witnessed Ocasio-Justiniano driving off in a teal Acura MDX from a Central Florida home that was being staked out as a target in a 2022 DEA investigation.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stakeout
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Noun
The detectives assigned to the stakeouts arrested three persons Friday night on charges of robbery and kidnapping.
—The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
So do your homework and maybe even a little undercover stakeout.
—Teja Chekuri, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
The automaker has steadily lost electric vehicle market share to its competitors, while its largest rival in China is outpacing it with advances in driver-assistance software, which Musk has staked out as a cornerstone of his business.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
According to the complaint, detectives witnessed Ocasio-Justiniano driving off in a teal Acura MDX from a Central Florida home that was being staked out as a target in a 2022 DEA investigation.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stakeout
Cite this Entry
“Stakeout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stakeout. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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