put out feelers
To explore or watch for; to ask around; to investigate.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I'm putting out feelers to see if anyone wants to buy my car.”
“He puts out feelers to see if his neighbors want to share a garden.”
“They put out feelers for a cheaper apartment in the city center.”
“Before quitting her job, she put out feelers to check if other companies were hiring.”
“The band members are putting out feelers to find a new drummer who can travel for their upcoming summer tour.”
“We should put out feelers at the conference to see if any local businesses are interested in a partnership.”
“After the long meeting, the manager put out feelers to gauge how the team felt about the new office rules.”
“The diplomat quietly put out feelers among his contacts, probing for any sign that the hostile regime might be open to secret talks.”
Derived from an allusion to animals that employ their feelers to gain awareness of their surroundings. The image is one of tentative physical inquiry, borrowed from the biological functions of insects or crustaceans to describe the act of seeking information through indirect means.
- 01
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 02
not to put too fine a point on it
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
- 03
put a band-aid on a bullet wound
To inadequately treat a serious situation.
- 04
put a blanket over
Make (something) seem less serious.
- 05
put a bug in someone's ear
To make a small suggestion or give a hint that causes the listener to act.
- 06
put a damper on
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
- 07
put a foot wrong
To make a mistake.
- 08
put a gun to someone's head
To compel someone (to do something); to create a situation in which someone has no alternative course of action.
Last updated August 10, 2026