by feel

idiom

1

: by feeling with one's hands when one cannot see

It was too dark too see anything, so she had to find the door knob by feel.

2

: by being guided by physical feelings, the senses, etc., instead of by rules or directions

an athlete who plays by feel

Examples of by feel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Octopuses typically hunt by feel, stealthily sticking their tentacles into crevasses to feel, taste, and flush out prey such as crustaceans, snails, and small fish. —Byhannah Richter, science.org, 23 Sep. 2024

María de Lourdes Ortiz Zacarías swiftly cuts hundreds of strips of newsprint and colored crepe paper needed to make a piñata, soothed by Norteño music on the radio while measuring pieces by feel. —Fabiola Sánchez, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Dec. 2023

Rangers boss Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker of the Astros offer experience, calm and have mastered managing the game by feel. —Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2023

Nissan unfortunately went all-in on haptic-touch buttons on the dash and the console, meaning nothing can be operated by feel—and the driver-attention monitor is quick to scold those whose eyes are diverted from the road. —Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 27 May 2023