test the waters

phrase

variants or less commonly test the water

: to make a preliminary test or survey (as of reaction or interest) before embarking on a course of action

Examples of test the waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board will continue testing the waters in and around Lake Natoma to determine when levels are no longer elevated, in partnership with California State Parks. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

LifePods enter a market already testing the waters, literally. — New Atlas, 6 July 2026

For people already dealing with untreated hearing loss, this offers a low cost, low commitment way to test the waters before deciding whether a dedicated prescription hearing aid is worth the investment. — Allison Palmer july 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026

Rhymes for test the waters

• backwaters
• breakwaters
• floodwaters
• granddaughters
• groundwaters
• headwaters
• shearwaters
• wastewaters
• blotters
• daughters
• otters
• plotters