feel out

phrasal verb

felt out; feeling out; feels out

: to talk to or question (someone) in an indirect way in order to find out if something one wants to do or get will be possible

He tried to feel us out to see if we'd loan him more money.

Examples of feel out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Previously, agents might tour properties with potential clients so both parties could feel out the working relationship. —

Jordan Smith, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Aug. 2024 Research shows the majority of young adults still hope and expect to own a home, but at this stage in their lives homeownership feels out of reach, Chris Porter, the chief demographer for John Burns, told Axios. —

Christine Clarridge, Axios, 30 July 2024 Fading hope: The American dream of owning a home feels out of reach for many families. —

Daniel Wine, CNN, 29 July 2024 Sign up for the Prompt 2024 newsletter for opinions on the biggest questions in politics Inscribed on a colorful plaque atop a bench in my local park, the words felt out of place. —

Annabel Abbs-Streets, Washington Post, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for feel out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feel out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.