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
Just a few hundred people live in Chichiriviche, and some 70 families depend on fishing for their subsistence, so not taking the boats out is unthinkable.
—
Andrew Raine, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Their families fish for a living or farm or are musicians, cooks or artists in the French Quarter.
—Mandi Wright, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
What if the women had their own boats and hired men to fish for them?
—Viola Kosome, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Sometimes, a potential buyer is simply fishing for sensitive information.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fish for
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Andrew Raine, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Their families fish for a living or farm or are musicians, cooks or artists in the French Quarter.
—Mandi Wright, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
What if the women had their own boats and hired men to fish for them?
—Viola Kosome, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Sometimes, a potential buyer is simply fishing for sensitive information.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 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 8 Sep. 2025.
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