sound out
Third Person
sounds out
Present Participle
sounding out
Past Tense
sounded out
Past Participle
sounded out
1
to attempt to learn someone's opinions and intentions through subtle or indirect questioning or conversation
- The reporter skillfully sounded the interviewee's political views out without causing discomfort.
- She casually sounded out her friend's intentions regarding the upcoming event without directly asking.
- During the meeting, the manager skillfully sounded out the team members to gauge their concerns.
- She strategically sounded her parents' expectations out before revealing her future plans.
- Hoping to understand the client's preferences, he decided to sound the ideas out during the discussion.
2
to articulate words in a specific manner
- He practiced sounding the new language out, focusing on correct pronunciation.
- The news anchor diligently sounded each news report out, maintaining a professional tone.
- The teacher encouraged the students to sound the vocabulary words out during language lessons.
- The actor skillfully sounded out the lines, capturing the essence of the character.
- She confidently sounded out the words, enunciating each syllable clearly.