in the air
Idioms-
In addition to the following idiom, also see castles in the air; leave hanging (in the air); nose in the air; up in the air.
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In circulation, in people's thoughts. For example, There's a rumor in the air that they're closing , or Christmas is in the air . [Second half of 1800s] Also see in the wind .
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See up in the air . [Mid-1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Smoke still hangs in the air, although it is easier to breathe than the previous evening, when the acrid smell of fire spread across Bordeaux.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Footage taken not long before the rescue showed Jackie sparring with subadult balds — on the ground and in the air, according to Voisard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“A lot is up in the air right now,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The smell of rubbish hangs heavy in the air as pickup trucks and handcarts crawl through narrow alleyways, unloading the day's collections while children weave between them chasing footballs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Gran’s needle paused in the air for a moment.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
