on the wing
Idioms-
In flight, usually referring to a bird as opposed to a plane. For example, Louise is very good at identifying birds on the wing . [Late 1400s]
-
Active, in motion, as in Coaches are always on the wing, trying to recruit talented athletes . This usage may be obsolescent. [c. 1500]
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.
Staying fit has been Feyi-Waboso's problem, and England must manage him and Freeman - who has looked more threatening on the wing than at 13 - correctly over the next 12 months.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Known for its bright-yellow planes with “Howdy” painted on the wing tips, Spirit was lauded for ratcheting up competition for travelers’ dollars—and reviled for levying charges on everything from water to printed boarding passes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
She has starred for Manchester United this season on the wing and scored twice from the left against Ukraine.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
Instead, he pulled up on the wing and made a three.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
I landed on the wing of an old-fashioned silver airplane, which pitched and almost spilled me to the floor, three stories below.
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
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.
