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
Gallen is very much a pitcher who operates by feel, but that sense has come and gone too often this season (7-11, 5.58 ERA).
—
Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Also, the power button is recessed and hard to find by feel.
—PC Magazine, 22 July 2025
The power and active noise cancellation (ANC) buttons are hard to find and distinguish by feel alone.
—PC Magazine, 6 May 2025
The Eastman Kodak Company, for instance, helped the OSS wage its shadow war by developing a small camera that could fit inside a matchbox and be operated only by feel.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
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Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Also, the power button is recessed and hard to find by feel.
—PC Magazine, 22 July 2025
The power and active noise cancellation (ANC) buttons are hard to find and distinguish by feel alone.
—PC Magazine, 6 May 2025
The Eastman Kodak Company, for instance, helped the OSS wage its shadow war by developing a small camera that could fit inside a matchbox and be operated only by feel.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by feel
Cite this Entry
“By feel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20feel. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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