test the waters

phrase

variants or less commonly test the water

: to make a preliminary test or survey (as of reaction or interest) before embarking on a course of action

Examples of test the waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After years of testing the waters, Christie’s has decided that pop culture is ready for the big leagues. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Researchers at a lab at the University of Illinois Chicago have been testing the water for the event for safety, including filtering concentrated bacteria, isolating the DNA, then amplifying it to measure how much is in the water. — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026

Matching the offer to the bettor A cautious bettor testing the waters gains more from DraftKings or bet365, since both pay out regardless of whether the first bet wins. — Ascend Agency, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

The Phillies will have to keep testing the waters in leverage situations over the next two weeks to figure out what gives them the best chance to win. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for test the waters

• backwaters
• breakwaters
• floodwaters
• granddaughters
• groundwaters
• headwaters
• shearwaters
• wastewaters
• blotters
• daughters
• otters
• plotters