scout the path; sound out the situation
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesverb
to scout the path ahead; to reconnoiter the road
Literally means to walk ahead of a group to check if the path is safe or passable. Often used in military or hiking contexts. In colloquial Beijing dialect, it is commonly pronounced with an -r suffix as 趟道儿 (tāng dào r).
The troops sent scouts ahead to reconnoiter the path.
No one has walked this path before; we need to send someone to scout it out first.
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You go ahead and scout the way first; we'll follow right behind.
verb
to sound out the situation; to test the waters; to feel out the circumstances
Figurative extension of the literal meaning. Refers to investigating or gathering information about a situation before taking formal action. Often used in business, political, or social contexts to describe cautious preliminary inquiries. The variant form 蹚路 is also commonly used in this sense.
Before doing this, you need to test the waters first and see what the leadership's attitude is.
You go sound out the situation and find out the client's real thoughts.
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We need to send someone first to sound out the situation and clearly understand the other party's bottom line.