stakeout: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal, Professional (law enforcement)
Quick answer
What does “stakeout” mean?
A period of secret surveillance of a building or area by police or detectives.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A period of secret surveillance of a building or area by police or detectives.
Any covert observation of a location or person, often used in journalism or private investigation. Can also figuratively refer to a prolonged, watchful waiting for something to happen.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is identical in meaning and form. It is slightly more prevalent in American media due to its prominence in US crime drama.
Connotations
Strongly associated with police procedural and detective genres in both cultures.
Frequency
Equally common in UK and US law enforcement contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “stakeout” in a Sentence
[conduct/run/set up] a stakeoutbe [on/assigned to] a stakeoutthe stakeout [lasted/ended/yielded]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stakeout” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The officers will stake out the suspect's flat for the next 48 hours.
American English
- The detectives decided to stake out the warehouse all night.
adjective
British English
- The stakeout team drank litres of terrible coffee.
American English
- He was assigned to the stakeout unit for six months.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used. Could metaphorically describe competitive intelligence gathering.
Academic
Used in criminology or media studies when analyzing police methods.
Everyday
Understood from TV/film. Can be used humorously ('I did a stakeout on the biscuit tin').
Technical
Standard term in law enforcement and private investigation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “stakeout”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “stakeout”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stakeout”
- Confusing with 'stakeholder'. Using 'stakeout' as a verb without proper context (e.g., 'They stakeout the house' is non-standard; 'They are on a stakeout' or 'They stake out the house' is correct).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
As a noun, it is one word: 'stakeout'. The verb form is two words: 'to stake out'.
Yes, it can be used for any secret, fixed-point surveillance, e.g., by journalists, private investigators, or even humorously in everyday life.
'Surveillance' is the general activity of watching. A 'stakeout' is a specific type of surveillance involving a stationary, hidden observation post, often over a period of time.
No, that is non-standard. Use 'I am on a stakeout' or 'I am staking out [a place]'.
A period of secret surveillance of a building or area by police or detectives.
Stakeout is usually informal, professional (law enforcement) in register.
Stakeout: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsteɪkaʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsteɪkˌaʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Stakeout central (humorous term for a location being intensely watched)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine detectives STAKING out a place, like a hunter, waiting patiently.
Conceptual Metaphor
SURVEILLANCE IS HUNTING (staking out prey).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary activity involved in a 'stakeout'?