get one's feet wet

present singular third person gets one's feet wet · participle present getting one's feet wet · past got one's feet wet · UK participle past got one's feet wet · US participle past gotten one's feet wet

1. idiomaticTo begin gaining experience; to tentatively try something new.

   Let the new hire do that project so she can get her feet wet.

   3 more examples

   Why don't you try getting your feet wet on the beginner slopes.

   Thomas barely got his feet wet at the Education Department before he was sworn in nine months later as EEOC commissioner.

   1991 September 9, Sharon LaFraniere, “Despite achievement, Thomas felt isolated”, in Washington Post, retrieved 14 Aug 2018

   These programs, often offered by community colleges and vocational schools, can offer students a way to get their feet wet in the medical field without committing to the years of school and expertise it takes to become a doctor.

   2011 May 24, Kayla Webley, “Health and Medical Preparatory Programs”, in Time, retrieved 14 Aug 2018