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
Birdwatching is a popular activity here, with almost 200 species living in the shady old hardwood forest, as is hiking the nearby three-mile Boulder Loop Trail and going fishing for brook trout.
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Catherine Garcia, theweek, 4 June 2024
Teardrop’s Midas touch extends to the kitchen, marrying Sri Lankan plates with international dishes made from local produce: egg hoppers for breakfast, grilled fish for lunch and coconut and mustard fish curry for dinner.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
But all three can be a lot of fun to fish for when just looking to have a good time.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 8 May 2024
Bighead carp are not native to Colorado and negatively impact the ecosystem by competing with other fish for plankton, their main food source, state officials said.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for fish for 
Catherine Garcia, theweek, 4 June 2024
Teardrop’s Midas touch extends to the kitchen, marrying Sri Lankan plates with international dishes made from local produce: egg hoppers for breakfast, grilled fish for lunch and coconut and mustard fish curry for dinner.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023
But all three can be a lot of fun to fish for when just looking to have a good time.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 8 May 2024
Bighead carp are not native to Colorado and negatively impact the ecosystem by competing with other fish for plankton, their main food source, state officials said.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for fish for
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fish for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Fish for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fish%20for. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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