react on the fly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "react on the fly" is not correct; the correct expression is "react on the fly." You can use it to describe the ability to respond quickly and effectively to changing circumstances or situations without prior preparation.
Example: "During the meeting, we had to react on the fly to the unexpected questions from the audience."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

But again, I wanted to take my time and not just react on the fly, take my time with that decision, and I think I made the right decision".

The New York Times

We love game shows because we want them to be "real", because they aren't cast with trained actors with rehearsed lines and well-developed roles, but because the cast comes from the rank and file of ordinary people like you, with all the randomness and diversity of the real people in your life, thrust into this very high-stakes situation and forced to react on the fly.

The Guardian - Opinion

Now new, smarter antennas can react on the fly, shifting capacity as needed when calling volume suddenly surges and divvying up the load among as many as a dozen discrete beams as callers move around.

Forbes

"In conversational speech, you have to react on the fly".

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Having none of those resources at hand when Either/Or opened its annual spring festival at the Kitchen on Thursday night meant reacting on the fly, making connections in the dark.

The New York Times - Arts

Not only can these materials capture and relay data to the cloud, they also can reconfigure themselves on-the-fly to react to changing environmental conditions.

TechCrunch

It's also what allows Google to react to changes in the industry, like this one, on the fly.

TechCrunch

Fruit flies react on food odors and aggregation pheromone in a rather complicated way.

Bulletin of Mathematical Biology

PHOTOS: Celebrities react on Twitter.

Los Angeles Times

Marketers, then, can be more spontaneous and focus on reacting to individual customers, testing ideas on the fly, rather than spending months testing campaign ideas, before slowly rolling those ideas out.

TechCrunch

Simmons is also particularly proud of the new Japanese support which can react to written Japanese and create appointments on the fly.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you need to convey the idea of adapting to changes without previous planning, consider rephrasing it to "react on the fly". For example, say "During the presentation, we had to react on the fly to audience questions".

Common error

Avoid using "react on the fly" in formal writing or professional communication, as it's considered grammatically incorrect. Opt for more precise and grammatically sound alternatives like "adapt in real-time" or "respond spontaneously".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "react on the fly" functions as a verb phrase, indicating the act of responding or adjusting to circumstances in a spontaneous and unplanned manner. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically incorrect, though usage examples exist.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "react on the fly" is used to describe the action of responding to something spontaneously and without preparation. Despite its apparent use in various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Wiki, Ludwig AI identifies the phrase as grammatically incorrect, advising users to rephrase it to "react on the fly". Alternative expressions like "adapt in real-time" or "respond spontaneously" may be more suitable for formal communication. When aiming for precision and grammatical correctness, it is crucial to consider context and source authority.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

adapt in real-time

Emphasizes immediate adaptation to changing circumstances.

adjust on the go

Focuses on making changes while in the process of doing something.

improvise

This suggests creating something spontaneously without preparation.

think on your feet

This refers to the ability to come up with ideas and solutions quickly.

respond spontaneously

Highlights the unprompted nature of the reaction.

extemporize

Similar to improvise, but often used in more formal contexts.

play it by ear

Implies a flexible approach, making decisions as the situation unfolds.

handle it as it comes

Suggests dealing with a situation without prior planning.

react immediately

Stresses the promptness of the response.

act without preparation

Highlights the lack of planning involved.

FAQs

What does "react on the fly" mean?

The expression "react on the fly" means to respond or adapt to something quickly and without prior preparation. It's about being able to think and act effectively in the moment.

What can I say instead of "react on the fly"?

You can use alternatives such as "adapt in real-time", "respond spontaneously", or "improvise" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "react on the fly"?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "react on the fly" is incorrect. The correct expression is "react on the fly".

How can I use "react on the fly" in a sentence?

Here's an example of "react on the fly" in a sentence: "During the meeting, we had to react on the fly to the unexpected questions from the audience."