Play It By Ear

American Slang

Definition

To improvise and decide as you go, handling a situation as it unfolds instead of following a set plan.

Examples

"We don't need a strict itinerary for the road trip—let's just play it by ear and stop wherever looks fun."

"I didn’t prep a full lesson plan today; we’ll play it by ear based on what questions you have."

"If the weather turns, we’ll play it by ear and move the picnic indoors if we have to."