trial balloon

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I think his completely made-up 'arrest on Tuesday' was a trial balloon to test his ability to summon a mob. If so, it's a test that failed."

From Salon

Mr. Khan’s petition amounts to a trial balloon, to see whether the court will agree that charges can be confirmed even if someone is not in custody.

From New York Times

She might be bringing up this topic as a sort of a trial balloon — testing the waters to see if you will react.

From Washington Post

That was a trial balloon of its own that was deflated by Goodell’s office Wednesday.

From Washington Post

Gladchuk, though unsurprised by the outcry, characterized the response as alarmist and wildly premature to what he describes as the equivalent of a trial balloon.

From Washington Post