“to be up in the air” / “to still be up in the air”
Meaning: to be undecided, undetermined, unsettled, or uncertain at the moment
Similar Expressions
- The future of the project is still up in the air.
- The future of the project is still undecided.
- The future of the project is still undetermined.
- The future of the project hasn’t been decided yet.
When do we use it?
We use this expression when a decision has not been made yet. So, we usually use this when we are waiting for a decision to be made. Think of it like when we flip a coin in the air to decide something. While we wait for the coin to land and decide something, the coin is up in the air.
How do we use it?
We use this expression after a “be verb” and it is commonly used with the word “still”.
- It is up in the air.
- It is still up in the air.
- Our trip is still up in the air. We might cancel it.
We can make a longer sentence by adding “about whether…or…”.
- It is still up in the air about whether we will accept their offer or reject it.
- It is up in the air about whether the president will sign the law or veto it.
Example English Conversations
A) Are you going to India on business next week?
B) I’m not sure. It is still up in the air.
A) Why is that?
B) We are still negotiating. If we can’t come to a basic understanding with the other company, then we will cancel the trip.
A) Have they made a decision about what to do?
B) No. It is still up in the air. They will decide by the end of the week.
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Expressions, Idioms, and Slang Index
