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.
And they started brightly, with Katie Buchanan collecting the ball on the wing, beating a defender and sprinting over the line to give them a fifth-minute lead in her first international start.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
“Like, the guys on the wing that know their assignment, we’re going to deploy them and they’re going to attack and they’re going to be aggressive,” Redick said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
"We played good football. We had pace on the wing, fantastic midfielders, and strikers who were deadly," says McIlduff, who has been Whitley Bay chairman since 2001.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
It gives Lakers coach JJ Redick a solid group of defenders on the wing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The thought of seeing falcons on the wing lightens my feet, and I step up our pace through the rugged farmland.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
