test the water

A form of test the waters — To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbtest the water (third-person singular simple present tests the water, present participle testing the water, simple past and past participle tested the water)

present singular third person tests the water · participle present testing the water · participle past tested the water · past tested the water

  1. alternativeAlternative form of test the waters.
Cite this entry
APA

test the water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/test%20the%20water

MLA

“test the water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/test%20the%20water. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “test the water,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/test%20the%20water.

Source: test the water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.