Wiktionary
alt. (context idiomatic English) To explore or probe, as before making a commitment. vb. (context idiomatic English) To explore or probe, as before making a commitment.
Usage examples of "test the waters".
Julien and Bruno set the sail and put out into the bay to test the waters while Henri and Alain remained behind to look over the old boat, always in need of repairs.
Perhaps it's best you do stay here for a while, until you're ready to test the waters, as it were.
Later on, we just moved in together to test the waters and see if we could make it on the marriage circuit.
With Mister Carew out of the way, out chasing some poor vixen or dog fox, this was an ideal opportunity to have a quiet word with Sophie and test the waters.
Maybe they could test the waters without exposing themselves to unnecessary gunfire.
Maybe to test the waters and see if his brain was on the ball after last year.
Gerry would want to test the waters of his theory about the need to out the vampires to see if he could find like-minded monsters.