feel out

phrasal verb

felt out; feeling out; feels out
: to talk to or question (someone) in an indirect way in order to find out if something one wants to do or get will be possible
He tried to feel us out to see if we'd loan him more money.

Examples of feel out in a Sentence

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This one-bedroom is a 10-minute walk from the buzz of downtown without feeling out of touch—there are plenty of restaurants, bars, plus the iconic hot dog stand all within quick reach. Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 25 July 2025 If adding an addition feels out of the question, consider a backyard tiny house. Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 18 July 2025 Perhaps the most salient reason that celebration feels out of place is that the war with Hamas has now lasted more than 50 times longer than the war with Iran did. Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025 That time allows some stories to settle — Voit has confessed and been sentenced to life in prison — JJ has had a year to feel out how to navigate parenthood without her husband, Garcia has gotten back on the dating scene and much, much more. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for feel out

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Cite this Entry

“Feel out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feel%20out. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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