take the pulse of

Idioms

Also, feel the pulse of. Try to determine the intentions or sentiments of a person or group, as in These exit polls allegedly take the pulse of the voters, but I don't believe they're very meaningful. [First half of 1600s] Also see feel out.

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.

On Monday and Wednesday, private gauges also take the pulse of China’s manufacturing and services sectors, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

He argues that the amount of dust in the atmosphere offers a way to take the pulse of ecosystems.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2022

Every day, polls take the pulse of the people and report the results.

From Textbooks • Jul. 28, 2021

Even with the restrictions, Welch is managing to take the pulse of Vermont.

From Washington Times • Oct. 30, 2020

When Mr. Kumar visited the zoo, it was to take the pulse of the universe, and his stethoscopic mind always confirmed to him that everything was in order, that everything was order.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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