by eye

idiom

: by looking at something to get a rough idea of its size

I measured the distance by eye.

Examples of by eye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the fragments were too small to be identified by eye, so the researchers turned to a relatively new technique known as Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), which allows scientists to extract valuable information from specimens that might have been overlooked in the past. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 July 2024

Lacking a meat thermometer, the family assessed the doneness of the dark-colored meat by eye. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 May 2024

There is no cure, but if caught early enough, it can be controlled either by eye drops that reduce the pressure of fluid on the optic nerve or, in some cases, by laser surgery. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2024

They can be caused by quick pressure changes (i.e., sneezing or coughing), which can pop the capillaries in your eyes, or by eye trauma. —Victoria Song, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2024