sounding each other out; probing each other
Describes a situation where two or more parties cautiously try to gauge each other's intentions, opinions, or stance, often in negotiations or delicate social interactions.
At the first meeting, they kept sounding each other out.
At the negotiation table, there will probably be a period of probing each other.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common but still used.
Compound of 探り (saguri, 'probing', the continuative form of 探る) and 合い (ai, 'mutual', from 合う).