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
Greg/Gary hosted another extravagant pool party while Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) went fishing for another guy to fulfill his fantasy kink.
—
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Trout season starts begins at Cook County lakes Anglers can start fishing for trout at sunrise April 5 in the Forest Preserves of Cook County, including at Axehead Lake and Belleau Lake in Park Ridge, Sag Quarry East in Lemont, Horsetail Lake in Palos Park and Green Lake in Calumet City.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
The good news is that organizations that teach others to fish for themselves instead of fishing for others are winning and winning big.
—Barry Libert, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Campbell and friends weren’t the only ones to go fishing for contraband— Jairon Ortega-Corea, a relative of a high-ranking MS-13 member locked up at MDC, tried a similar scheme on Dec. 1, the feds say.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fish for
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Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Trout season starts begins at Cook County lakes Anglers can start fishing for trout at sunrise April 5 in the Forest Preserves of Cook County, including at Axehead Lake and Belleau Lake in Park Ridge, Sag Quarry East in Lemont, Horsetail Lake in Palos Park and Green Lake in Calumet City.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
The good news is that organizations that teach others to fish for themselves instead of fishing for others are winning and winning big.
—Barry Libert, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Campbell and friends weren’t the only ones to go fishing for contraband— Jairon Ortega-Corea, a relative of a high-ranking MS-13 member locked up at MDC, tried a similar scheme on Dec. 1, the feds say.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 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 9 May. 2025.
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