The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word RECONNAISSANCE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
E
C
O
N
N
A
I
S
S
A
N
C
E
More clues leading to the result RECONNAISSANCE
- Scouting revival blocked by fraud
- Survey study written in Dante’s time
- Checking out cultural phenomenon involving swindle (14
- Politician, during progressive period, is acquiring intelligence
- Survey fraud found in the revival of culture
- A sincere canon’s arranged initial survey
- Initial survey, study set in period of cultural renewal
- Initial survey represented E Asian concerns
- Survey trick during restoration?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Checking out" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case checking out = reconnaissance.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RECONNAISSANCE mean?
RECONNAISSANCE noun- The act of scouting or exploring (especially military or medical) to gain information.