up in the air

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.

Example Sentences

The September jobs report is due Thursday, though other reports, such as the October consumer-price index, are still up in the air.

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The French-American Union just announced that they’ve raised enough money to finish building Liberty, that statue of the lady holding a torch up in the air.

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Eisman had his hand up in the air again, waving it around.

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With a restock up in the air, some savvy shoppers have figured out how to create their own Bearista at home.

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"If Mary is going to be open and honest about the situation, she needs to go into more detail about the supposed bad behaviour rather than leave it up in the air," added Williams.

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