wing it

Idioms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In other words, this isn’t the summer to wing it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

After beginning his career as a wing, it will be the fourth time that Rees-Zammit has started at full-back for Wales after making three appearances there during the 2022-23 season.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

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

If she had friends she took to the west wing it was not exactly my affair.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023