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

Chinook salmon populations have suffered major declines in recent years, and fishery managers decided to prohibit fishing for another year to help stocks recover. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Bella fed her baby some fish for its first meal at around 5 p.m., then Scout came back to the nest a couple hours later, the conservation center said in an April 9 news release. —Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024

Even in parts of the South, stockings during the cooler months give anglers a chance to go trout fishing for rainbows and browns that could never exist there naturally. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024

But there's still always some aspect of getting friends together—of eating Chinese food in some way, shape, or form; of eating auspicious foods like noodles for longevity, fish for surplus, oranges for wealth. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Feb. 2024

Enjoy symbolic foods such as egg rolls for wealth and prosperity, noodle dishes for longevity, and whole fish for abundance. —Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024

Nami won a smaller amount of fish for finishing second. —Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024

Here are 12+ must-try Louisville restaurants to get fish for Lent Where is the best fish sandwich in Louisville? —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024

Guests 13 and older pay $13 for fish and $7 for pizza, while children 6-12 can get fish for $7.50 and pizza for $5. —The Indianapolis Star, 15 Feb. 2024