straw poll

British  

noun

1. an unofficial poll or vote taken to determine the opinion of a group or the public on some issue

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straw poll Cultural  

1. Originally, a small, informal opinion survey. Today, a straw poll is generally a large-scale, scientifically determined public opinion survey based on a random sample of the population. Straw polls are commonly used to test public opinion of candidates running for office.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

straw poll

The third- and second-place candidates in the Aug. 21 straw poll could be promising.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

The campaign for the next United Nations secretary-general is under way, and the latest straw poll of Security Council members has three South or Central Americans on top.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

The Security Council president, Zenon Ngay Mukongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed a second round of the straw poll would be announced in the coming days.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

The fact that any straw poll of Spurs fans would end with Pochettino standing in the technical area at the start of next season shows the affection still felt for the Argentine.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, withdrew her candidacy for the position of United Nations secretary-general on Saturday, weeks after a straw poll showed her in second to last place among eight candidates.

From Barron's

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