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• Make hay while the sun shines
  Make hay while the sun shines

  Take advantage of favorable circumstances; they may not last.
• make hay while the sun shines
  make hay while the sun shines

  Take advantage of favorable circumstances, as in Car sales have finally improved so we're making hay while the sun shines. This expression alludes to optimum dry weather for cutting grass. [Early 1500s]

Make hay while the sun shines

Cultural  

1. Take advantage of favorable circumstances; they may not last.

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make hay while the sun shines Idioms  

1. Take advantage of favorable circumstances, as in Car sales have finally improved so we're making hay while the sun shines. This expression alludes to optimum dry weather for cutting grass. [Early 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Make hay while the sun shines make hay while the sun shines

"Make hay while the sun shines," he replies.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2012

"Make hay while the sun shines, eh?" said he, with a chuckle.

From True To His Colors by Harry Castlemon

Make hay while the sun shines; use your eyes if you can't use your tongue.

From The Potiphar Papers by George William Curtis

Make hay while the sun shines, my dear," she said; "you may never have such another opportunity.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine No. XVI.?September, 1851?Vol. III. by Various

"Strike while the iron is hot," and "Make hay while the sun shines," are golden maxims.

From Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden

That matters because successful investors make hay while the sun shines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

They say you should make hay while the sun shines, and farmers have been doing just that.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2025

Yet companies in this ballooning market might be advised to make hay while the sun shines.

From Reuters ● Oct. 11, 2022

The old saying is - make hay while the sun shines.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2018

The prices are high because there is a big crowd just in off the steamer, and the dealers want to make hay while the sun shines.

From The Young Treasure Hunter or, Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska by Frank V. Webster