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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.

“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

“Or maybe I was just oversensitive. My therapist says I’m trying to control things because my life feels out of control.”

From Literature

There’s another character in one of the scenes that those guys did that feels out of place because all he’s got is prostate cancer.

From Los Angeles Times

With the labor market tightening, Drake said that job-hopping has become difficult, while moving up at his current position feels out of reach.

From MarketWatch

With the labor market tightening, Drake said that job-hopping has become difficult, while moving up at his current position feels out of reach.

From MarketWatch

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.