fishing expedition
noun
1
: a legal interrogation or examination to discover information for a later proceeding
2
: an investigation that does not stick to a stated objective but hopes to uncover incriminating or newsworthy evidence
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The scientists’ Galileo Project will be a $1.6 million fishing expedition unlike any other. 
Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022 The warrant was not a baseless fishing expedition, but rather rooted in investigators’ knowledge of the suspects’ use of Facebook’s messaging tool. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2022 But where a typical geofence fishing expedition might catch only one or two suspects, the January 6 investigation appears to have landed a netful. Mark Harris, Wired, 30 Sep. 2021 Rescue crews are scouring Trinity Bay on Tuesday morning for an 88-year-old boater who was reported missing after a fishing expedition. Jay R. Jordan, Chron, 26 Apr. 2022 This sophomore effort flashes back and forth between the springtime unfurling of Mungo and James’ love (forged in the dovecote where James raises pigeons) and the goose-pimpling fishing expedition a few months later. Hillary Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2022 The passion for Moryto to get into reality TV, in regards to his new fishing expedition, came from travelling the world and fishing in Marlin tournaments in Grenada, Tobago, Costa Rica, and Barbados. Josh Wilson, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 For bigger marine thrills, a dolphin cruise yields sightings in the thousands, and a fishing expedition turns up sailfish the size of small children. Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2021 Now that’s the sort of fly-fishing expedition that might send Logan to the bait shop. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2021 See More
Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022 The warrant was not a baseless fishing expedition, but rather rooted in investigators’ knowledge of the suspects’ use of Facebook’s messaging tool. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2022 But where a typical geofence fishing expedition might catch only one or two suspects, the January 6 investigation appears to have landed a netful. Mark Harris, Wired, 30 Sep. 2021 Rescue crews are scouring Trinity Bay on Tuesday morning for an 88-year-old boater who was reported missing after a fishing expedition. Jay R. Jordan, Chron, 26 Apr. 2022 This sophomore effort flashes back and forth between the springtime unfurling of Mungo and James’ love (forged in the dovecote where James raises pigeons) and the goose-pimpling fishing expedition a few months later. Hillary Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2022 The passion for Moryto to get into reality TV, in regards to his new fishing expedition, came from travelling the world and fishing in Marlin tournaments in Grenada, Tobago, Costa Rica, and Barbados. Josh Wilson, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 For bigger marine thrills, a dolphin cruise yields sightings in the thousands, and a fishing expedition turns up sailfish the size of small children. Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2021 Now that’s the sort of fly-fishing expedition that might send Logan to the bait shop. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Legal Definition
fishing expedition
noun
fish·ing ex·pe·di·tion
-ˌek-spə-ˈdi-shən
1
: an inquiry (as by the use of discovery) that is unnecessarily extensive or unrelated to the lawsuit
2
: an investigation that does not stick to a stated objective but hopes to uncover incriminating or newsworthy evidence