Meanings
nounfishing expedition (plural fishing expeditions)
plural fishing expeditions
- derogatoryidiomaticinformallawA search for information, especially incriminating information, that is conducted without specific direction or goal, in the hope that something may turn up.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fishing, expedition. (an outing for catching fish)
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 釣魚式調查 /钓鱼式调查
- 釣魚式調查 /钓鱼式调查 (diàoyú shì diàochá)search for (incriminating) information
Finnish esitutkinta
- esitutkintasearch for (incriminating) information
French recherche à l'aveuglette, partie de pêche
- recherche à l'aveuglettesearch for (incriminating) information
- partie de pêchesearch for (incriminating) information
Russian сбор компрома́та, зонди́рование по́чвы
- сбор компрома́та (sbor kompromáta)search for (incriminating) information
- зонди́рование по́чвы (zondírovanije póčvy)search for (incriminating) information
Spanish expedición de pesca
- expedición de pescasearch for (incriminating) information
Cite this entry
APA
fishing expedition. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fishing%20expedition
MLA
“fishing expedition.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fishing%20expedition. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fishing expedition,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fishing%20expedition.
Source: fishing expedition on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.