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.
Daniel's easy run-in on the wing got Wigan going after the break before Field raced in from Farrell's offload to continue the rout.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Fly-half Handre Pollard was fit and then injured and withdrawn in the week, while Kolbe was injured and then fit and eventually named on the wing.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Just stay there on the wing, stay wide.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Above the river, the seagulls kept on the wing as long as they could, hoping the turbulence would bring them a good find”—not unlike these characters, struggling to hang on through uncertain weather.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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.
