fish for
phrasal verb
fished for; fishing for; fishes for
: to ask for or try to get (something, such as praise or attention) in an indirect way
I think he offers apologies for his cooking as a way of fishing for compliments.
fishing for answers
Examples of fish for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many Pacific Northwest tribes have subsisted on the fish for millennia and have woven them into their religions and languages.
—
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Someday, anglers might again be able to fish for white sharks, but Cleri isn't worried about anyone else getting his record.
—Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 5 Jan. 2026
With the exception of a few items coming from Mexico, Twilegar sources nearly all of his fish for the restaurants from Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, 598 Harbor Lane.
—Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
Right now, the emphasis is on gathering enough data to nominate the fish for legal protection.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fish for
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Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Someday, anglers might again be able to fish for white sharks, but Cleri isn't worried about anyone else getting his record.
—Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 5 Jan. 2026
With the exception of a few items coming from Mexico, Twilegar sources nearly all of his fish for the restaurants from Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, 598 Harbor Lane.
—Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
Right now, the emphasis is on gathering enough data to nominate the fish for legal protection.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fish for
Cite this Entry
“Fish for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fish%20for. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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