fishing expeditions
Aimless evidence hunts
Fishing expeditions are searches or investigations conducted without specific evidence, hoping to turn up something incriminating.
The term comes from the image of casting a wide net to see what you catch.
In legal contexts, it often describes overly broad discovery requests or subpoenas: The defense called the warrant a fishing expedition.
Politicians and executives use the phrase to characterize investigations they consider unfounded or harassing.
- reelWinding cylinder or dance
- catchSeize or snag
- lureThing that tempts
- anglingRecreational hook-and-line pursuit
- dragnetUnderwater haul net
bait · hook · trolling · cast · cast a wide net · snooping · witch hunt · wild goose chase · big fish · line · subpoena · overreach · investigation · harassment · discovery · probe · speculative · net
- fishingfish, angling, bait, hook, catch
- Ocean Activitiessailing, deep sea exploration, cruise, whale watching, boating
fishing, expedition, fished, fishery, fisher, fisheries, fishers, overfishing, fishable