play it by ear
CulturalExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said she will "play it by ear" when it comes to lecturing in the coming years.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026
“As long as he’s in relatively good shape, you work him in and get him playing, and you play it by ear and eyes and see where he is after that.”
From Washington Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
“I’m just going to play it by ear, see whichever one of the styles that work,” Taylor said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2023
Right now, it’s so new; I think it makes sense to play it by ear and be dynamic.
From The Verge ● Aug. 2, 2022
If I bump into Nelson wandering about on Lookout Ridge, I’ll play it by ear.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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.
