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.
“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
“We’ll just play it by ear every day. And that’s the thing. And yes, I know I’m not going to rush back before I have to,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2023
“However, unlike the past, we will have to play it by ear because the course of our day depends upon how Mom feels.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2022
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
Nodding vaguely, he said, “Oh, well, sure, of course. We’ll just play it by ear then, pal, how’s that sound?”
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
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.
