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
Until the season opens, fishing for rock crab is Tin's best option.
—
Kenny Choi, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
For anglers, fishing for tigerfish in the river is particularly excellent in October.
—Elizabeth Gordon, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
Many anglers start fishing for Spanish mackerel with live shrimp on light spinning rods.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Vaquitas continued to be caught and unintentionally killed when fishers used these nets to target totoaba fish for their swim bladder—the part of a fish that regulates buoyancy—for sale in Chinese black markets.
—Ryan Green, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fish for
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Kenny Choi, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
For anglers, fishing for tigerfish in the river is particularly excellent in October.
—Elizabeth Gordon, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
Many anglers start fishing for Spanish mackerel with live shrimp on light spinning rods.
—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Vaquitas continued to be caught and unintentionally killed when fishers used these nets to target totoaba fish for their swim bladder—the part of a fish that regulates buoyancy—for sale in Chinese black markets.
—Ryan Green, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 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 2 Dec. 2025.
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