wait and see

Idioms  

1. Bide one's time for events to run their course, as in Do you think they'll raise taxes?—We'll have to wait and see. This expression was first recorded in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719): “We had no remedy but to wait and see.” In Britain the phrase became associated with Prime Minister H.H. Asquith, who in 1910 so often said it to the opposition regarding an impending bill that he became known as “Old Wait and See.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wait and see

Critics, however, say that is unlikely - and residents will have to wait and see what the impact on their council tax bills will be.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“You need to wait and see the reports to know if it’s justified or not,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

“When we wait and see, we are losing more students,” Pierson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

He said he wanted to wait and see what more he learned from the Epstein files before making his annual decision on giving in late June.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

She decides to wait and see what her daughter has to say.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins