echar una cuerda

Literally, “to throw a rope”.

• IPA^(key): /eˌt͡ʃaɾ ˌuna ˈkweɾda/ [eˌt͡ʃaɾ ˌu.na ˈkweɾ.ð̞a]
• Syllabification: e‧char u‧na cuer‧da

echar una cuerda (first-person singular present echo una cuerda, first-person singular preterite eché una cuerda, past participle echado una cuerda)

1. (idiomatic) to make a rough measurement; to get an idea of the lay of the land

• “echar una cuerda”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024