: a project or scheme tentatively announced in order to test public opinion
Examples of trial balloon in a Sentence
She's been floating trial balloons about a possible run for Congress.
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In 2024, Rudin sent up a trial balloon, advising the media mogul Barry Diller on arts programming for Little Island, Diller’s outdoor attraction on the Hudson River.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026 Read the full story to find out which names are in the mix, including one high-level state official who has floated a trial balloon to land a seat on the high court, and proposals to reduce the political overtones to the judge selection process.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026 That trial balloon was unveiled by Steve Sadin in a front-page News-Sun story late last month.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026 The applicants suggested that the proposal is being presented as a trial balloon.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trial balloon