Synonyms

up in the air

Idioms

Not settled, uncertain, as in The proposal to build a golf course next to the airport is still up in the air. This metaphoric expression likens something floating in the air to an unsettled matter. Put as in the air from the mid-1700s, it acquired up in the first half of the 1900s.

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.

But whether the chip industry is dealing with a minor hiccup or a big problem is still up in the air.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

But to bet it all, thinking you have the answers when everyone is up in the air, how can you be certain?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

After a debut that produced mixed results with a thin linebacker room, Ryan’s status has been up in the air over the past two months.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

One of those could be significant chip sales in China but Nvidia’s rival AMD said Tuesday, alongside its earnings call, that shipments are still up in the air.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

All the noses of all the witches in that room went up in the air, and all the nostrils began to suck and sniff.

From "The Witches" by Roald Dahl

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023