fishing expedition

noun

1

: a legal interrogation or examination to discover information for a later proceeding

2

: an investigation that does not stick to a stated objective but hopes to uncover incriminating or newsworthy evidence

Examples of fishing expedition in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The latest example: Biden’s FBI went on a fishing expedition and subpoenaed the phone records of 9 members of Congress. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

In their motion, though, prosecutors said questions about the suspension would amount to a highly prejudicial fishing expedition unrelated to the charges Urbina faces. —Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025

Turning into a quagmire, and with other Baldoni-leaning content creators and influencers publicly pushing back against their own subpoenas, that legal fishing expedition of sorts was cut short not long after by Lively’s Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and Willkie Farr & Gallagher lawyers. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025

By all indications, the DOJ data call is a massive fishing expedition. —Mary Ellen Klas, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fishing expedition

• superimposition
• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition

Legal Definition

fishing expedition

noun

fish·​ing ex·​pe·​di·​tion

-ˌek-spə-ˈdi-shən

1

: an inquiry (as by the use of discovery) that is unnecessarily extensive or unrelated to the lawsuit

2

: an investigation that does not stick to a stated objective but hopes to uncover incriminating or newsworthy evidence