feel for
phrasal verb
felt for; feeling for; feels for
1
: to search for (something) by reaching or touching usually with the fingers
The doctor felt for any possible fractures in the patient's bruised ribs.
He felt for the light switch.
2
: to have sympathy or pity for (someone)
I feel (deeply) for you, but there's nothing I can do to help.
Examples of feel for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is an element of novelty in this year’s Formula One world championship fight, a freshness not felt for some time.
—
Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Even Kristian Campbell and Masataka Yoshida donned first baseman's mitts to try to get a feel for the position.
—Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The actor-comedian described rather nervously warming up for the event with a set in Bahrain to get a feel for what an audience in the region would find funny (and acceptable) and then performing at the Saudi Arabia festival’s opening night on Friday.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
From there, testers laced up — some literally and some metaphorically — indoors for a period of 15 to 20 minutes to get an initial feel for the shoes.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feel for
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Luke Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Even Kristian Campbell and Masataka Yoshida donned first baseman's mitts to try to get a feel for the position.
—Michael Hurley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
The actor-comedian described rather nervously warming up for the event with a set in Bahrain to get a feel for what an audience in the region would find funny (and acceptable) and then performing at the Saudi Arabia festival’s opening night on Friday.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
From there, testers laced up — some literally and some metaphorically — indoors for a period of 15 to 20 minutes to get an initial feel for the shoes.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feel for
Cite this Entry
“Feel for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feel%20for. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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