on the fly

Idioms  

1. In a hurry, on the run, as in I picked up some groceries on the fly. The transfer of this expression, which literally means “in midair or in flight,” dates from the mid-1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the fly

But in fairness to the state party, which had to create this process on the fly, Platner’s implosion left no good options.

From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026

Pinterest showed off a new tool that automatically selects the ad most likely to perform best, while TikTok played matchmaker for brands and creators and debuted tools to generate ads on the fly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

The team stitches together compelling bits on the fly, staying nimble in case late-in-the-day drama blows up their working cut.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026

The director also grabbed images on the fly, using his iPhone during location scouting to get close-ups of the insects and on set during forest chases.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

“That was easy! Just like patching a bicycle tire. Hans taught me how, but I’ve never done a repair on the fly before.”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood