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  2. play it by ear. Add to word list. Add to word list. 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. (Definition of play it by ear from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

    • English (US)

      PLAY IT BY EAR meaning: to decide how to deal with a...

    • Play About/Around

      PLAY ABOUT/AROUND definition: to behave in a silly way: ....

    • Play for Time

      play for time definition: to try to make something happen...

    • Play Games

      play games definition: to not deal with a situation...

    • Safe

      PLAY (IT) SAFE definition: to be careful and not take risks:...

    • Play Sth Back

      play sth back definition: to listen to sounds or watch...

    • Decide

      DECIDE definition: 1. to choose something after thinking...

    • Tell

      TELL definition: 1. to say something to someone, usually...

  3. 6 days ago · 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.

    • Meaning of “Play It by Ear”
    • Origin of “Play It by Ear”
    • Using The Idiom “Play It by Ear”
    • Other Idioms About Ears

    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. That is, to deal with that situation without any predetermined rules or guidelines: one would see how something goes and go along with it instead of preparing for it beforehand. Ano...

    The idea of playing something by ear originally referred to the playing of music without reference to a written score. Sometimes musicians would listen to a piece of music and then try to recreate the sound. And so, a musician might learn or study music without any sheet music, so they would then play what they had heard rather than what was in the...

    You would use the idiom to “play it by ear” in the following circumstances: Your friend is organising a night out, and you want to make decisions about it beforehand. She says “Let’s play it by ear,” meaning, let’s see how it goes and respond to every circumstance as it arises. You don’t have enough information to prepare for a presentation or talk...

    All ears– To listen intently. Bend your ear– To talk a lot to someone, usually about a problem. Ears are burning– This expression is used when somebody has been talking about you. Have your ear to the ground – To listen out for something, to be well-informed. In one ear and out the other– To disregard what someone is saying. Lend an ear– To listen ...

  4. What's the meaning of the phrase 'Play by ear'? Initially, this referred to the playing of music without reference to printed notation. More recently it is also used figuratively to mean ‘handle a situation in an impromptu manner’, that is, without reference to pre-determined rules or guidelines. What's the origin of the phrase 'Play by ear'?

  5. To play it by ear is an idiomatic expression that means to do something without preparing for it. Instead of creating a plan, you decide how to manage a situation as it occurs. Example: I don’t know which dress to get. I’ll just play it by ear.

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  6. play into the hands of play it close to one's chest. Play it by ear definition: . See examples of PLAY IT BY EAR used in a sentence.

  7. 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.

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