reconnoiter

/ˌriːkəˈnɔɪtər/
verb
  1. To explore or survey an area to gather information, especially for military or strategic purposes.
    • Before building the new road, engineers went to reconnoiter the terrain.
    • The scouts were sent to reconnoiter the enemy's position.
    • We decided to reconnoiter the hiking trail before bringing the whole group.
Antonyms