trial balloon

noun

: a project or scheme tentatively announced in order to test public opinion

Examples of trial balloon in a Sentence

She's been floating trial balloons about a possible run for Congress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These are the stories that resonate now, the innovations that feel fresh, the trial balloons for where the art form is headed. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024 But every single initiative that the new president has put forward toward North Korea, the North Koreans have popped those trial balloons. Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2017 Vehicles the company bet its future on are a strange place for a trial balloon. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 8 Oct. 2024 The source disputed speculation that Trump nominated Gaetz as a trial balloon to draw scrutiny away from other controversial picks, such as Hegseth, Kennedy or former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), who will be nominated to serve as director of national intelligence. Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trial balloon 

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trial balloon was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near trial balloon

Cite this Entry

“Trial balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trial%20balloon. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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