1
: one that seeks to evade responsibilities and especially creditors by flight
2
: one without established reputation or standing
especially
: a shaky business enterprise
1
: given to making a quick profit usually by shady or irresponsible acts
2
: transitory, passing
fly-by-night fashions
Examples of fly-by-night in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
The reason why registered importers exist in the first place goes back to the 1980s, when fly-by-night importers brought over (West) German-market cars by the containerful at a perfect intersection of yuppie demand and a weak Deutschmark.
—Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 3 July 2025
The pop-up isn’t a fly-by-night grasp at sales for Rose, who now spends the majority of her time in the skier-and-hiker-friendly community.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
And avoid local, fly-by-night or unlicensed providers that might be cheaper, but could expose you to more danger.
Don't forget travel insurance
A reliable policy will cover more than just medical expenses in case you get injured.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
To execute the way the Eagles and Chiefs did Sunday is hardly fly-by-night.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
Eggers is the opposite of a fly-by-night filmmaker, and each of his previous three movies were the result of careful storyboarding, intense historical research, and immersive design.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
But fake paramours, fly-by-night contractors, bogus handymen and shady housing professionals are guilty, too.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
Much as Craven may deplore the emergence of large agencies that have taken over their competitors, companies like Allied Universal absorbed many of these fly-by-night outfits, requiring at least a modicum of training where there had been less.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
Tim Gray, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2023
But now, allowing every fly-by-night oversees judgment-proof vendor to ship sales directly into American households is Customs anarchy.
—Kenneth Rapoza, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023
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Noun
Reporters crossed the region to visit these fly-by-night gambling parlors.
—Josh Salman, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
The reason why registered importers exist in the first place goes back to the 1980s, when fly-by-night importers brought over (West) German-market cars by the containerful at a perfect intersection of yuppie demand and a weak Deutschmark.
—Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 3 July 2025
The pop-up isn’t a fly-by-night grasp at sales for Rose, who now spends the majority of her time in the skier-and-hiker-friendly community.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
And avoid local, fly-by-night or unlicensed providers that might be cheaper, but could expose you to more danger.
Don't forget travel insurance
A reliable policy will cover more than just medical expenses in case you get injured.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
To execute the way the Eagles and Chiefs did Sunday is hardly fly-by-night.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
Eggers is the opposite of a fly-by-night filmmaker, and each of his previous three movies were the result of careful storyboarding, intense historical research, and immersive design.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Jan. 2025
But fake paramours, fly-by-night contractors, bogus handymen and shady housing professionals are guilty, too.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
Much as Craven may deplore the emergence of large agencies that have taken over their competitors, companies like Allied Universal absorbed many of these fly-by-night outfits, requiring at least a modicum of training where there had been less.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
But even before that, AMPAS leaders tackled the issue of moviegoing, since the new fly-by-night entertainment had evolved into an industry.
—Tim Gray, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2023
But now, allowing every fly-by-night oversees judgment-proof vendor to ship sales directly into American households is Customs anarchy.
—Kenneth Rapoza, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Fly-by-night.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fly-by-night. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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