up in the air

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

She scoops an unamused cat up in the air and, with the first sign of emotion, says, “I love you.”

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026

But at a time of international instability and with the government's defence plans still seemingly up in the air, Healey's resignation could hardly be more serious.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Whether he will attend any more games is up in the air.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

However, an expected decision deadline passed in late April without any regulatory action, leaving the approval up in the air.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

It’s also a little up in the air whether the inventor of whatnots, Frances Miranda Gonzagaga, wanted to help the rich people or just become rich herself.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix