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.
The company went so far as to track down and monitor the specific devices on which the hackers were testing their intrusion techniques, surveil the hackers at work, and ultimately trace that focused, years-long exploitation effort to a single network of vulnerability researchers in Chengdu, China. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024 There’s also really solid progress on the A-Train front, with the Boys’ newest informant directly involving himself in a plot to surveil a meeting between Homelander and Neuman during a Vought on Ice rehearsal at VoughtCoin Arena. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 June 2024 Documents say Mesa police received an alert on Jan. 5 that a license plate reader spotted the plate, prompting officers to surveil the vehicle, which matched the description of a gray Ford Focus involved in the previous robberies. Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024 On occasions when witnesses threatened to expose or sue them, a security company was used to surveil and intimidate those individuals to secure their silence. Mark Williams, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near surveil

Cite this Entry

“Surveil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surveil. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on surveil

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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