a stab in the dark

noun phrase

1

: a guess that is based on very little or no information or evidence

They don't really know how much the work will cost. They're just taking a stab in the dark.

2

: an attempt that is not likely to succeed

It's a stab in the dark, but we should try anyway.

Examples of a stab in the dark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So kids, tourniquet that ol’ arm off, sharpen yr works on the strike surface of a matchbook, then take a stab in the dark with these. —Henry Everingham, SPIN, 17 Oct. 2024

But where to start was the infernal question; every attempt would be a stab in the dark. —Shi En Kim, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2023