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Synonyms

feel out

Idioms  

  1. 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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

The discussion didn’t feel out of the ordinary for longtime listeners of “New Heights.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

Aside from virality, he also thinks features like “listener counts” feel out of place.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.