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

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Out of contract next summer, and with Barcelona looking for cash, Spurs could do worse than to test the waters and unite Torres with his international team-mate Pedro Porro. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The late introduction is a common practice as a way to test the waters or stake out political positions. — Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Finance chiefs spend months refining the narrative, sharpening the metrics, and testing the waters with institutional investors to gauge whether the investment case will hold up once the market opens. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 July 2026 The workers must then disinfect the pipe with chlorine and test the water’s quality for safety. — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for test the waters

Rhymes for test the waters

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Browse Nearby Words

test solution
test the waters
test-tube
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Cite this Entry

“Test the waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test%20the%20waters. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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