on the fly

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Example

“The demo broke, so I improvised the walkthrough on the fly.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

off the cuff Informal · CEFR B2

said without preparation

play it by ear Informal · CEFR B2

To deal with a situation as it develops rather than following a fixed plan.

by the seat of your pants Informal · CEFR C1

to do something by instinct and improvisation rather than by plan

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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