fly by the seat of one's pants
This phrase originated from early aviation, where pilots would navigate without instruments, relying on their instincts and judgment.
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Definition
B2General
(informal)To act based on intuition and improvisation rather than following a set plan.
Example
- With no script to follow, the actor had to fly by the seat of his pants during the performance.
B2Decision Making
(informal)To make decisions spontaneously, often without proper preparation or data.
Example
- The project manager had to fly by the seat of her pants when the client changed the requirements at the last minute.
B2Problem Solving
(informal)To handle a situation without prior experience, reacting as events unfold.
Example
- He was new to the job, so he had to fly by the seat of his pants to solve the unexpected issues.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "fly by the seat of one's pants":
play by earfly bytake a flyerplay fast and looseshoot from the hipon the flysail close to the windfly uponfly outfly in the buttermilk