fishing expedition
The term "fishing expedition" is often used pejoratively in legal contexts to describe an unfocused search for information.
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Definition
C1Legal
(informal, derogatory)A search for information without a specific objective, often to find incriminating evidence.
Example
- The lawyer accused the prosecution of going on a fishing expedition, looking for any possible wrongdoing.
- During the pre-trial phase, the defense argued that the broad document request was merely a fishing expedition.
B2General
(idiomatic)An attempt to find useful information by asking questions or investigating without a clear purpose.
Example
- Her questions felt like a fishing expedition, as she seemed to be probing for any interesting tidbits.
- The reporter's interview turned into a fishing expedition, trying to uncover any scandalous details.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "fishing expedition":