feel out

Idioms

Try cautiously or indirectly to ascertain someone's viewpoint or the nature of something. For example, We'd better feel out the author before we commit him to a publicity tour. This term alludes to physical groping. [Late 1800s] Also see take the pulse of.

Example Sentences

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feel out

The decision to have a child isn’t primarily a financial calculation, and a one-time payment doesn’t touch the conditions that make family formation feel out of reach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

Over the course of several meetings, including one at an upscale Austrian diner built into a 12th-century monastery, the men said they wanted to feel out the government’s thinking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

“Giving away sourdough became this super chill, five-minute interaction where I could meet someone, hand them a loaf, and just feel out the vibe without committing to a whole date,” she said.

From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026

Even the most accomplished actors sometimes feel out of their depth on a movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025

Since I feel out of place, I often put on a fa9ade so that I fit in.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

feel out

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