put out feelers

verb

To explore or watch for; to ask around; to investigate.

“I will put out feelers and see what I can find out about that.”

Similar
test the waters
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Meanings

verbput out feelers (third-person singular simple present puts out feelers, present participle putting out feelers, simple past and past participle put out feelers)

present singular third person puts out feelers · participle present putting out feelers

  1. idiomaticTo explore or watch for; to ask around; to investigate.

    I will put out feelers and see what I can find out about that.

    Synonyms: test the waters

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo explore or watch for; to ask around; to investigate.

Similar
test the waters
Also see
test the waters

Origin

An allusion to animals which use their feelers to gain awareness of their surroundings.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

put out feelers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20out%20feelers

MLA

“put out feelers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20out%20feelers. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put out feelers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20out%20feelers.

Source: put out feelers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.