mainly American

an attempt to discover the facts about something by collecting a lot of information, often secretly.

The investigators' request for the company's accounts is simply a fishing expedition - they have no real evidence of wrongdoing.

• back away
• back away from
• back away from something
• back-door
• back down
• back-handed compliment
• back in circulation
• backing and filling
• back in the game
• back in the saddle
• back into a corner
• back off
• back out
• back out of
• back out of something
• backroom boy
• backseat driver
• back someone into a corner
• back the wrong horse
• back to back
• back-to-back
• back to basics
• back to earth
• back to square one
• back to the drawing board