try it on
To test someone to see how much bad behaviour they will tolerate; to try to deceive someone to see how gullible they are.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He is trying it on by asking for a huge discount.”
“The employee arrived an hour late again, clearly trying it on to see if the manager would notice.”
“By demanding an extension on the project deadline, the student was trying it on, hoping the professor would overlook the lack of effort.”
- 01
give something a try
To try or attempt something.
- 02
I'd like to see someone try
Expressing a threat or challenge to someone.
- 03
tried and tested
Synonym of tried and true.
- 04
tried and trusted
Synonym of tried and true.
- 05
try one's hand
To attempt a skill, craft, trade, or action, possibly for the first time.
Last updated August 10, 2026