scope out

Quite possibly from the act of surveying (something) from a distance with a scope, such as a field scope (telescope), binoculars, or periscope, as especially in military reconnoitering.

• "The conference starts on the 12th, but the building will be open on the 11th if you want to scope out the room ahead of time."
• "Everything basically winds up the way you’d expect, with Jon heading to Dragonstone to scope out Dany while Cersei more or less successfully marshals some Tyrell bannermen and some Qyburn inventions for the defense of King’s Landing. But it doesn’t feel like a foregone conclusion."

• check out
• scope