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

See Examples For:

up in the air

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

"Silencio" the rescuers scream turning towards the road with their fists up in the air, motioning to everyone to remain silent.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

The Fed’s views on this and other fundamental questions, however, are very much up in the air at the moment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 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

“Now put your hands right up in the air where I can see them.”

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline