stakeout
1 of 2noun
stake·out ˈstāk-ˌau̇t 
: a surveillance maintained by the police of an area or a person suspected of criminal activity
stake out
2 of 2verb
staked out; staking out; stakes out
transitive verb
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
Example Sentences
Noun The drug deal was witnessed during a stakeout of the building. The police were on a stakeout.
Recent Examples on the Web
People Staff, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 Police conducted a stakeout and caught a shoplifter at 4:15 a.m. July 22 at the 7-Eleven store. Joan Rusek, cleveland, 28 July 2022 On Only Murders in the Building, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are in a battle of crime podcasts with Only Murderers in the Building host Cinda Canning, played by Tina Fey, and end up on a stakeout trying to prove their innocence. Ew Staff, EW.com, 26 July 2022 Vickers is accused of ambushing two officers who were on a stakeout Thursday night in Rochester. Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2022 McGinnis said police arrested the gang members after a stakeout near the residence of the mother of the child of rapper Future. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 21 July 2022 The team also sets up a nighttime stakeout to investigate mysterious light on the mesa, and the team also sees two UFOs in the sky above the ranch. Andy Meek, BGR, 5 July 2022 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents question and detain undocumented immigrants during traffic stop after an early morning stakeout, Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Camilo Montoya-galvez, CBS News, 25 June 2022 Lee led a stakeout that uncovered a massive cache of explosives belonging to Cheung, who was caught soon after on the mainland. Timothy Mclaughlin, The Atlantic, 25 May 2022 See More
Noun
There, the couple decided to race past the stakeout on their way to Dodi's apartment off the Champs Elysees. People Staff, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 Police conducted a stakeout and caught a shoplifter at 4:15 a.m. July 22 at the 7-Eleven store. Joan Rusek, cleveland, 28 July 2022 On Only Murders in the Building, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are in a battle of crime podcasts with Only Murderers in the Building host Cinda Canning, played by Tina Fey, and end up on a stakeout trying to prove their innocence. Ew Staff, EW.com, 26 July 2022 Vickers is accused of ambushing two officers who were on a stakeout Thursday night in Rochester. Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2022 McGinnis said police arrested the gang members after a stakeout near the residence of the mother of the child of rapper Future. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 21 July 2022 The team also sets up a nighttime stakeout to investigate mysterious light on the mesa, and the team also sees two UFOs in the sky above the ranch. Andy Meek, BGR, 5 July 2022 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents question and detain undocumented immigrants during traffic stop after an early morning stakeout, Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Camilo Montoya-galvez, CBS News, 25 June 2022 Lee led a stakeout that uncovered a massive cache of explosives belonging to Cheung, who was caught soon after on the mainland. Timothy Mclaughlin, The Atlantic, 25 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1942, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1951, in the meaning defined at sense 1