fish for
phrasal verb
fished for; fishing for; fishes for
: to ask for or try to get (something, such as praise or attention) in an indirect way
I think he offers apologies for his cooking as a way of fishing for compliments.
fishing for answers
Examples of fish for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The dams decimated fish populations many tribes have long relied upon for both sustenance and cultural practices and destroyed ancient and culturally significant fishing sites, including Celilo Falls near The Dalles, Oregon, which had been fished for at least 10,000 years.
—
Alyssa Kreikemeier, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
When fished for consumption, the fish’s diet contributes to its taste to people.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
The Karuk Tribe’s ancestral territory extends along much of the Klamath River in what is now the Klamath National Forest, where its members have fished for salmon, hunted for deer and collected tanoak acorns for food for thousands of years.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
The Dark Side of a Lobster Fight: As Canada wrangles an epic, decades-long saga of who can fish for lobster, and when, emerging threats are heating up the conflict in Nova Scotia.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
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Alyssa Kreikemeier, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
When fished for consumption, the fish’s diet contributes to its taste to people.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
The Karuk Tribe’s ancestral territory extends along much of the Klamath River in what is now the Klamath National Forest, where its members have fished for salmon, hunted for deer and collected tanoak acorns for food for thousands of years.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
The Dark Side of a Lobster Fight: As Canada wrangles an epic, decades-long saga of who can fish for lobster, and when, emerging threats are heating up the conflict in Nova Scotia.
—Victoria Kim, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fish for
Cite this Entry
“Fish for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fish%20for. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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