Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

fishing-expedition

noun

/ˈfɪʃɪŋ ˌɛkspəˈdɪʃən/

Definition

A fishing expedition is a search or inquiry intended to uncover information, often without a clear direction or purpose.

Examples

The lawyer’s questioning felt like a fishing expedition, as he asked irrelevant questions to provoke a response.
During the meeting, the manager’s inquiries seemed to turn into a fishing expedition rather than focusing on specific issues.

Meaning

This term can refer to a situation where someone is trying to gather information by asking many questions without knowing exactly what they’re looking for, similar to how someone goes fishing to catch something without knowing in advance what they will catch.