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.
Not to be outdone, Visa and Mastercard lobbed their own stablecoin trial balloons right back. Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Whether or not that was a mere trial balloon or a suggestion, the type of soft power at play is one of Hollywood’s main assets. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025 Leaks occur in every administration — and government officials can be the source — as a trial balloon to test how a potential policy decision will be received. Tara Copp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2025 This fight seems very much like a trial balloon, seizing on areas of law like immigration and military powers where the executive has particularly acute authority, and playing on the emotional narrative that this is about targeting bloodthirsty criminals, even if that narrative is false. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Trial balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trial%20balloon. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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