What Does "Trial Balloon" Mean?
"Trial balloon" is an English idiom. It means "an idea, proposal, or plan that is introduced or tested to gauge public reaction or response before it is officially implemented."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "trial balloon" used in a sentence:- The government often releases trial balloons to assess public opinion on potential policy changes.
- Before announcing the new product, the company floated a trial balloon to gather feedback from focus groups.
- The CEO presented the concept as a trial balloon to the board of directors to explore its feasibility.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Trial Balloon" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
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