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]
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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.
Kildunne scored two tries against Scotland in her first Women's Six Nations start on the wing last month.
From BBC • May 5, 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
Smith and outside centre Tommy Freeman are both at Northampton, although Freeman is more usually deployed on the wing, rather than midfield, at club level.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
Instead, he pulled up on the wing and made a three.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
Slowly, slowly it forms itself into a bird with a blade of red on the wing.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
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.
