trial balloon

noun

1. a statement, program, or the like issued publicly as a means of determining reactions in advance:

   The speech was a trial balloon for a new law.

trial balloon

noun

1. a tentative action or statement designed to test public opinion on a controversial matter Compare ballon d'essai

trial balloon

1. A small campaign or test designed to gauge public response. The term originally referred to a balloon sent up to determine weather conditions: “The speech on free trade that the candidate delivered last month must have been a trial balloon; the audience reacted with hostility, and he has not mentioned the subject since.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of trial balloon¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Idioms and Phrases

An idea or plan advanced tentatively to test public reaction, as in Let's send up a trial balloon for this new program before we commit ourselves . This expression alludes to sending up balloons to test weather conditions. [c. 1930]

Example Sentences

Over and again his aides have chucked out trial balloons to an avid press corps – only to have each potential prime minister disavowed the following day.

From BBC

So in addition to courting delegates in early primary voting states, like Iowa for Republicans and South Carolina for Democrats, California tends to see a number of auditions and trial balloons by presidential hopefuls.

From Los Angeles Times

Before they settled on this cleverly dishonest video, his campaign was leaking trial balloons to the press about considering a 15- or 16-week ban.

From Salon

It’s a common strategy for rising authoritarians to float “trial balloons” to see what they can get away, as Professor Ben-Ghiat explained:

From Salon

Sadly, late last night, Trump himself stuck a shiv in that trial balloon by announcing that he was endorsing Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio for the job, likely assuring his victory.

From Salon