on spec

phrase

1

: without having a definite buyer or customer but with the hope or expectation of finding one when work is completed

He built the house on spec.

She wrote the script on spec.

2

chiefly British : without being sure of success but with the hope of success

He wrote to the company on spec, hoping for a job.

Examples of on spec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The deal is the latest sign of developers pivoting toward specialized projects for customers such as Amazon to minimize the financial risk of building facilities on spec. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026

National firms followed the highway into Boise and built on spec — that is, speculatively, betting on market conditions without a specific client in mind. — Mark Dee march 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026

By 2023, the company had developed the Botts Road site into a 920,000-square-foot warehouse built on spec — meaning the firm didn’t have a specific tenant in mind. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2026

Cooper then wrote the script on spec. — Carole Horst, Variety, 6 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for on spec

• aztec
• breakneck
• codec
• exec
• mixtec
• paycheck
• pinchbeck
• recheck
• redneck
• toltec
• beck
• breck