take a flier
idiom
US, informal
: to do something that could have either good or bad results : to gamble on something risky
He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.
—often + onInvestors have been unwilling to take a flier on such a small and unproven company.
Examples of take a flier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Which means the Knicks can either trade for a center (during the offseason or ahead of the mid-February trade deadline), re-sign Achiuwa, take a flier on a minimum player — or take a flier on one of the two big men making a case for a roster spot in Las Vegas.
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 19 July 2024
Why not take a flier late in the first or second round?
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 25 June 2024
His athleticism intrigued the coaching staff enough to take a flier on him, drafting him in the seventh round.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2023
Amid that kind of uncertainty, many investors have decided that if their tokens won’t recover from the steep drop in value that began last November, why not take a flier on a company that sounds crypto-adjacent?
—David Segal, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2022
Shouldn’t people be allowed to take a flier with their own savings?
—Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 17 June 2022
Jeffers will provide consistent tackling for any team looking to take a flier on a veteran defensive player.
—Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2022
But until the combine, most draftniks thought Claypool might have to convert to tight end and was an athlete that some team would take a flier on in the fourth or fifth round.
—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2020
Bellinger, who likely would have made more than $18 million through arbitration had he been tendered a contract, will now be in the same boat, and is expected to draw plenty of interest from other teams willing to take a flier on a former MVP.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 19 July 2024
Why not take a flier late in the first or second round?
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 25 June 2024
His athleticism intrigued the coaching staff enough to take a flier on him, drafting him in the seventh round.
—Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2023
Amid that kind of uncertainty, many investors have decided that if their tokens won’t recover from the steep drop in value that began last November, why not take a flier on a company that sounds crypto-adjacent?
—David Segal, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2022
Shouldn’t people be allowed to take a flier with their own savings?
—Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 17 June 2022
Jeffers will provide consistent tackling for any team looking to take a flier on a veteran defensive player.
—Dallas News, 6 Apr. 2022
But until the combine, most draftniks thought Claypool might have to convert to tight end and was an athlete that some team would take a flier on in the fourth or fifth round.
—Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2020
Bellinger, who likely would have made more than $18 million through arbitration had he been tendered a contract, will now be in the same boat, and is expected to draw plenty of interest from other teams willing to take a flier on a former MVP.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take a flier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Take a flier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20flier. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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