wing it

Idioms  

1. Improvise, as in The interviewer had not read the author's book; he was just winging it. This expression comes from the theater, where it alludes to an actor studying his part in the wings (the areas to either side of the stage) because he has been suddenly called on to replace another. First recorded in 1885, it eventually was extended to other kinds of improvisation based on unpreparedness.

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Example Sentences

Sometimes, to build capacity or save lives, a relief organization simply has to wing it.

From Salon • Aug. 16, 2025

I don’t wing it and hope everything will turn out OK anymore.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

While Darcy Graham's dancing feet threaten on one wing, it was Duhan van der Merwe's power that shrugged off Ellis Mee on the other, creating space for Huw Jones on the outside.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2025

"The physics tells us that to get a more fuel-efficient wing it needs to be longer and more slender. That means we need to increase the span of the wing," Partridge said.

From Reuters • Jul. 4, 2023

I can’t read, so I just try to wing it.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz