[Idiom] PLAY IT BY EAR. - Mastering Spontaneity in Decision Making
Play it by ear.
/pleɪ ɪt baɪ ɪər/
Decide how to proceed as the situation unfolds.
To "play it by ear" means to make decisions and respond to situations spontaneously rather than planning everything in advance. It originates from musicians playing music without reading the musical notation.
Example Sentences
We don't have a set plan for the evening; let’s just play it by ear.
We don't have a fixed plan for the evening; we'll decide as we go.
Since no one knows the exact schedule, we'll play it by ear.
Since the schedule is uncertain, we'll make decisions on the spot.
With the weather being so unpredictable, we decided to play it by ear and make decisions as we go.
Due to unpredictable weather, we chose to make decisions as circumstances arise.