build the plane while flying it
- idiom
- Informal
:
construir el avión mientras vuela
- Launching a new product meant we had to build the plane while flying it, fixing issues as they appeared.
Examples
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The team managed to build the plane while flying it, meeting customer needs even as the system was being constructed.
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In our fast-growing company, we often have to build the plane while flying it just to keep up.
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We need to build the plane while flying it if we want to meet the deadline!
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It's challenging to build the plane while flying it during a crisis.
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In our fast-growing company, we often have to build the plane while flying it just to keep up.
-
Launching a new product meant we had to build the plane while flying it, fixing issues as they appeared.
-
The team managed to build the plane while flying it, meeting customer needs even as the system was being constructed.
Synonyms
∞
2.6
Spend time and effort improving or finishing something
Antonyms
How Prepared
∞
1.0
1
4.2
- Informal
9
3.4
- Informal
- Informal
28
6.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
build + the + plane + while + flying + it
The expression forms a vivid, easily visualized metaphor — building a plane while it is flying — so the core idea of constructing or improving something while it is already in use is inferable from the constituents. However the non-literal mapping (plane = project/product and the pragmatic sense of working under pressure) is metaphorical and not fully predictable for an average B1 learner without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Build the plane while flying it creates a clear picture: imagine people building a plane while it is already flying, adding and fixing parts as they go. So, the saying means 'to make or improve something while it is already in use', often quickly and under pressure.