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to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather than acting according to plans made earlier: We can't make a decision yet. Let's just play it by ear. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Reacting and responding. act on something. adverse reaction.
Jun 3, 2023 · The meaning of PLAY IT BY EAR is to do something without special preparation. How to use play it by ear in a sentence.
To play it by ear is to act spontaneously and according to the situation. Playing it by ear means you have no game plan. The original meaning of this term was to play music without sheet music, meaning you either remembered the music or improvised it.
1. to be able to play a piece of music after just listening to it a few times, without looking at the notes. I can play "Stardust" by ear. Some people can play Chopin's music by ear. 2. and play by ear to play a musical instrument well, without formal training. John can play the piano by ear.
PLAY IT BY EAR definition: to deal with things as they happen , rather than following a plan or previous arrangement | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples.
to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops: I'm not sure what to tell Dad - I'll just have to play it by ear.
If you play it by ear, you decide what to say or do in a situation by responding to events rather than by following a plan which you have decided on in advance. Synonyms: improvise, wing it [informal], ad-lib, extemporize More Synonyms of to play it by ear. See full dictionary entry for ear.
play it by ear. To improvise: “Rather than plan an elaborate strategy, Andy decided to play it by ear.”. Music played by ear does not follow written notes.
Meaning. improvise; act without preparation. to let things go as they may. determined on the circumstances. according to the demand of the situation. Example Sentences. Rather than adopting a new academic strategy, the principal decided to play it by ear. I don’t know what I will do when she comes in front of me. Let’s just play it by ear.
Meaning: If you play it by ear, you don't have a plan of action, but decide what to do as events take shape. Country: International English | Subject Area: Body and bodily functions | Usage Type: Both or All Words Used. Contributor: Richard Flynn.
Jun 14, 2024 · PLAY IT BY EAR definition: to deal with things as they happen , rather than following a plan or previous arrangement | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples in American English.
Meaning of “play it by ear”. When someone says, “I’ll play it by ear” they mean that they’ll handle some unplanned or unexpected coming situation in whichever way seems to work when the time comes.
to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops: I'm not sure what to tell Dad - I'll just have to play it by ear.
Nov 1, 2023 · If you “play it by ear”, you deal with a situation without a definite plan, you just see how things turn out and then will decide what to do as you go along. This idiom has a musical meaning too. When you play a piece of music by ear, you play it without looking at printed music for a song.
Mar 5, 2024 · You use “play it by ear” when talking about doing something without a plan or any preparation. You can either use the phrase as is (e.g., “We’re going to play it by ear”), or you can replace the word “it” with the name of a specific activity or event (e.g., “We’re going to play the road trip by ear”).
1. to be able to play a piece of music after just listening to it a few times, without looking at the notes. I can play "Stardust" by ear. Some people can play Chopin's music by ear. 2. and play by ear to play a musical instrument well, without formal training. John can play the piano by ear.
To act or behave so as to give an advantage to an opponent. play it by ear. To act according to the circumstances; improvise: I don't have a set schedule, so we'll have to play it by ear. play (one's) cards Informal. To use the resources or strategies at one's disposal: played her cards right and got promoted.
Jun 24, 2024 · Play it by ear is an idiom that means “do something without planning it out beforehand.” An example sentence is: "I’m not sure when we’ll be there; let’s play it by ear."
Jan 3, 2016 · play it by ear. When you do not have a plan, or instructions. When someone is not going to follow a direction or plan, they are just going to figure it out as they go alone. The saying derives from a musician being asked "Do you know how to play the song....." .
If you play it by ear, you decide what to say or do in a situation by responding to events rather than by following a plan which you have decided on in advance. Synonyms: improvise, wing it [informal], ad-lib, extemporize More Synonyms of to play it by ear. See full dictionary entry for ear.
play by ear in British English. a. to act according to the demands of a situation rather than to a plan; improvise. b. to perform a musical piece on an instrument without written music. See full dictionary entry for ear. Collins English Dictionary.
