have several balls in the air

Register · Informal Informal — used in casual, everyday conversation among friends and family. Avoid in formal writing or professional settings. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to be managing multiple projects or commitments at once

Why this phrase?

From juggling: the more balls in the air, the harder the catch.

Example

“The CTO has a dozen balls in the air right now.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

many balls in the air

Component words

air

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

into thin air Neutral · CEFR B2

Away so completely and suddenly that no trace or explanation remains.

out of thin air Neutral · CEFR B2

to seem to materialize suddenly without any apparent origin

call it a day Informal · CEFR B1

To decide to stop working on something for now.

do the job Informal · CEFR B1

to be good enough to achieve the desired result

easier said than done Neutral · CEFR B1

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

for the time being Neutral · CEFR B1

temporarily, until circumstances change

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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