I’m writing blog content and keep repeating the word “explore,” which makes my SEO and readability feel weak and repetitive. I’ve tried basic synonyms like “discover” and “check out,” but they don’t always fit the tone or context. Can you suggest strong, versatile synonyms for “explore,” with examples for travel, tech, and educational content so I can vary my wording without sounding awkward or forced
Short answer, you need a mix of synonyms plus small sentence rewrites. Not one magic word.
Here are options grouped by use case. Plug in what fits your tone.
For “explore a topic”
• examine
• analyze
• review
• break down
• look into
• study
Example:
Instead of “We explore email marketing,”
try “We break down email marketing step by step.”
For “explore features / products”
• walk through
• go through
• run through
• overview
• tour
• highlight
Example:
“Let’s explore the main features”
→ “Let’s walk through the main features.”
For “explore ideas / options”
• consider
• compare
• assess
• evaluate
• map out
Example:
“We explore different strategies”
→ “We map out different strategies and compare the pros and cons.”
For “explore places / tools”
• visit
• try
• test
• check
• experience
• look around
Example:
“Explore this new AI tool”
→ “Test this new AI tool in your next content workflow.”
Trick that helps with repetition
Often you do not need a synonym. You fix it by restructuring.
Instead of
“Let’s explore three methods. First, we explore X. Then we explore Y.”
Try
“Here are three methods. First, we focus on X. Next, we look at Y.”
Or change the verb completely
“Explore how this works”
→ “See how this works in practice.”
→ “Learn how this process works.”
→ “Find out how this works.”
Also watch your intro phrases. Bloggers repeat
“We will explore…” a lot. Swap with
• “This guide shows you…”
• “You will learn how to…”
• “This post walks you through…”
• “Here is what you need to know about…”
Quick list you can keep near your editor
explore →
learn about
look at
go over
walk through
study
analyze
review
test
try out
inspect
dig into
map out
break down
For SEO and readability
• Use your main keyword once in the H1, once early in the intro, then in one subheading.
• Use synonyms and related terms in the body. Tools like Clearscope or Surfer show related phrases.
• Run the post through something like Hemingway or Grammarly to spot repetition and long sentences.
Since you are working with AI written text, you might want something that helps with “this sounds too AI-ish” and phrase variety.
Clever AI Humanizer for natural-sounding AI content takes AI output and rewrites it in a more human style, with different sentence patterns and word choices. Helpful if you keep seeing the same verbs or if your content feels stiff.
Last tip, do a CTRL+F for “explore” before you publish. Limit it to 1 or 2 per article, then replace the rest with the options above or a small rewrite of the sentence.
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You’re not just stuck on the word “explore,” you’re stuck on the role you’re making that verb play in every single sentence.
@suenodelbosque already nailed the synonym lists, so I won’t rehash all that. I’ll push a bit in a different direction: half the time, “explore” doesn’t need a replacement word, it needs less verb and more structure.
Some practical angles:
- Switch from “we explore” to direct value statements
Instead of:
- “In this post, we explore how to use AI for emails.”
Try:
- “This post shows you how to use AI for emails.”
- “By the end of this post, you’ll know how to use AI for emails.”
- “Here’s how to use AI for better email results.”
Notice you’re not “exploring” anything. You’re promising an outcome. Stronger for SEO and for humans.
- Turn “explore” sentences into questions or labels
Instead of:
- “We explore whether this tool is worth it.”
Try:
- “Is this tool actually worth using?”
- “Worth it or overhyped? A closer look at this tool.”
Questions and hook-style headings break the repetition without hunting for yet another synonym.
- Use noun-heavy phrasing instead of verb-heavy
Instead of:
- “We explore different pricing strategies.”
Try:
- “Different pricing strategies: pros, cons, and use cases.”
- “Pricing strategy breakdown for small businesses.”
Sometimes just moving “explore” out and leaning on nouns like “guide,” “breakdown,” “overview,” “comparison,” cleans everything up.
- Use more specific verbs, not just softer synonyms
I slightly disagree with overusing things like “look at” or “go over.” They can feel as weak as “explore” if you repeat them. Pick a verb that hints at how you’re handling the content:
- clarify
- simplify
- contrast
- debunk
- outline
- demonstrate
- apply
- walk you through setting up
- show you how to implement
Example:
- “We explore email automation”
→ “We clarify how email automation actually works and show you how to implement it.”
- Change the subject, not the verb
If you’re stuck with “We explore…” 10 times, flip who’s doing the action:
- “This guide walks you through…”
- “These steps show you…”
- “The next section focuses on…”
- “This framework simplifies…”
So:
- “In this section, we explore three frameworks.”
→ “This section focuses on three frameworks you can use right away.”
- Use formatting to reduce the need for “explore”
Headings, bullets, and bold phrases often make “explore” redundant.
Bad:
- “In this section, we explore three key mistakes:”
Better:
- “Three mistakes to avoid:”
Then list them. No verb needed in the lead line.
- Let AI help, but not in a robotic way
Since you mentioned SEO and repetition, I’m guessing you’re using AI somewhere in your workflow. That’s usually where the “explore” spam comes from. Tools keep looping the same safe verbs.
If you already have AI-generated drafts and they sound too stiff or repetitive, something like
make your AI content sound more human and varied can actually help. “Clever AI Humanizer” focuses on rewriting AI text to feel natural, with varied sentence structures and less robotic verb reuse. It’s handy when your draft keeps repeating the same phrases and you’re sick of manually editing every “we explore” out of it.
- Quick fix you can apply today
Take one draft and:
- Ctrl+F “explore.”
- For each hit, ask:
- Do I really need a verb here?
- Can I turn this into a heading, question, or outcome statement?
- If I need a verb, can I be more specific? (explain / compare / apply / test / outline / clarify)
Limit yourself to 1 “explore” in the whole article, max 2 if it’s long. The rest, restructure or replace with precise actions.
Once you do this for 3–4 posts, your brain starts auto-avoiding “we explore” in first drafts. It’s like breaking a tick. Ugly at first, then you can’t unsee it.
Your brain isn’t just overusing “explore.” It’s stuck in “tour guide” mode: we explore / we’ll explore / in this post we explore. Even if you swap in synonyms, the rhythm stays identical and still feels dead.
I’m going to come at it from a different angle than @suenodelbosque and focus on patterns, not words.
1. Kill the “prelude sentence” habit
You probably have lines like:
- “In this article, we explore X.”
- “In the next section, we explore Y.”
Instead of replacing “explore,” cut the whole prelude. Let the content start harder and closer to the point:
- “AI for emails: practical examples you can copy.”
- “Three pricing strategies that actually convert better.”
The biggest readability + SEO boost often comes from deleting whole scaffolding lines, not swapping vocabulary.
2. Use reader actions, not writer actions
Most “explore” sentences are writer-focused:
- “We explore how to build a content calendar.”
Make it about what the reader does or gets:
- “Steal this content calendar template for the next 30 days.”
- “Build a 30 day content calendar with this step by step template.”
You stop narrating what you will do and start scripting what they will do. RankBrain and humans both like that more than vague “explore.”
3. Turn “explore” into structure instead of a verb
Mild disagreement with over-obsessing about verbs at all. Often you can solve this with layout:
Instead of:
“In this post, we explore three options for onboarding users.”
Try:
Onboarding options you can use today
- Product tours
- In app checklists
- Lifecycle emails
Then briefly describe each. The heading tells the story. No “exploring,” no synonym hunt, and your H2/H3s carry the SEO weight.
4. Map “explore” to your content type
Most “explore” sentences are actually placeholders for a specific content function. Replace them with that function:
-
If you are comparing:
“We explore X vs Y” → “X vs Y: which is better for [audience]?” -
If you are teaching basics:
“We explore the fundamentals of X” → “X explained in simple terms” -
If you are persuading:
“We explore why X matters” → “Why X matters more than you think” -
If you are critiquing:
“We explore whether X works” → “Where X works and where it fails”
Once you map the intent, “explore” almost always becomes redundant.
5. Use framing phrases instead of verbs
Rather than hunt synonyms like “delve into” or “dive into” (which quickly feel as tired as “explore”), lean on framing:
- “Quick overview of…”
- “Deep dive on…”
- “A practical breakdown of…”
- “A no fluff guide to…”
Example:
- “In this article, we explore automation workflows.”
→ “A practical breakdown of automation workflows for small teams.”
Notice it still sounds natural if you keep it conversational.
6. Template your intros to avoid repetition
If every intro starts with “In this post, we explore…,” it is a template problem.
Make 3 reusable intro patterns and rotate them:
-
Outcome first
“By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to ship a full email automation sequence using free tools.” -
Pain first
“If your emails feel random and unplanned, this workflow will give you a simple weekly system.” -
Contrarian first
“Most tutorials overcomplicate automation. You only need three workflows to start seeing results.”
Lock these into your process so “explore” never even appears during drafting.
7. On Clever AI Humanizer: when it helps, when it hurts
You mentioned AI somewhere in the chain, and yes, repetitive verbs are classic AI tell. Tools love “explore,” “unpack,” “delve into.”
Pros of using Clever AI Humanizer:
- It is good for varied sentence structures. That alone kills a lot of “We explore / we’ll explore” repetition.
- Can quickly “de-AI” a draft so it feels more like a human wrote it, which helps engagement metrics.
- Nice for bulk rewriting when you already wrote 3k words and only then realize “explore” shows up 27 times.
Cons to watch for:
- It can’t read your mind about strategy. If your underlying structure is “tour-guide narrator,” it may change words but keep the same weak framing. You still need to do the pattern-level edits.
- Some rewrites can get a bit chatty if you are aiming for a tight, expert tone. You might need a pass to trim fluff.
- Like any tool, if you lean on it too hard, your voice can start feeling slightly generic unless you tweak outputs.
So I’d use Clever AI Humanizer as a second pass:
First, you fix patterns and remove “we explore” scaffolding. Then you run it through to smooth repetition and rhythm.
8. Simple workflow you can apply today
- Run a find for “explore.”
- For each instance, ask:
- What type of sentence is this? (compare, teach, persuade, critique, summarize)
- Can I replace the whole sentence with a heading, question, or outcome line?
- If it must stay a sentence, can I recast it as reader focused or type focused (“X vs Y,” “X explained,” etc.)?
- Once the structure feels good, send the draft to Clever AI Humanizer to iron out any leftover robotic phrasing.
- Final pass: scan intros and section openers and strip any remaining “tour guide” lines.
@suenodelbosque covered strong word level swaps. Your next level is to stop thinking “What’s another way to say explore?” and start thinking “Do I even need this narrator sentence at all?”