by feel

idiom

1
: by feeling with one's hands when one cannot see
It was too dark too see anything, so she had to find the door knob by feel.
2
: by being guided by physical feelings, the senses, etc., instead of by rules or directions
an athlete who plays by feel

Examples of by feel in a Sentence

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.
Kosher salt is simply better for the way chefs tend to season their food, which is frequently, and without measuring, by eye and by feel. Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2025 Trying to get those highest light puck brackets screwed in by feel was not optimal. Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Octopuses typically hunt by feel, stealthily sticking their tentacles into crevasses to feel, taste, and flush out prey such as crustaceans, snails, and small fish. Byhannah Richter, science.org, 23 Sep. 2024 María de Lourdes Ortiz Zacarías swiftly cuts hundreds of strips of newsprint and colored crepe paper needed to make a piñata, soothed by Norteño music on the radio while measuring pieces by feel. Fabiola Sánchez, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for by feel

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“By feel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20feel. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!