on the fly
The idiom "on the fly" is used to describe actions done spontaneously or concurrently with another activity.
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Definition
B2General Usage
(informal)Done quickly and without prior planning or preparation.
Example
- She made the decision on the fly, without consulting anyone.
B2Computing
(technical)Making changes or performing actions while a process is ongoing.
Example
- The software allows you to edit the settings on the fly.
B2Restaurant
(industry-specific)Preparing an order immediately, often due to urgency or error.
Example
- We need that burger on the fly!
B2Sports
(sports)Substituting players while the game is in progress.
Example
- The team made a line change on the fly.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "on the fly":
on the hoofon the hopon the wingfly byon the spoton the gofly uponfly by the seat of one's pantson the jumpon the runon drivein strideforest flycatch fliesad hoc