take a flier
idiom
US, informal
: to do something that could have either good or bad results : to gamble on something risky
He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.
—often + onInvestors have been unwilling to take a flier on such a small and unproven company.
Examples of take a flier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Should the Tigers decide to take a flier on Gruden, the entertainment aspect would be real.
—
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Okay, take a flier on Bourne if Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings are out again, but that sounds unlikely.
—Jake Ciely, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
There should be teams around the league willing to take a flier on a young wing with that size, despite a lackluster production level in Dallas.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
She’s struggled this season, but is the type of player teams could look to take a flier on.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Some team that misses out on Sanders or Ward might move up to the late first round and take a flier.
—Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
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Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Okay, take a flier on Bourne if Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings are out again, but that sounds unlikely.
—Jake Ciely, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
There should be teams around the league willing to take a flier on a young wing with that size, despite a lackluster production level in Dallas.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
She’s struggled this season, but is the type of player teams could look to take a flier on.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Some team that misses out on Sanders or Ward might move up to the late first round and take a flier.
—Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Take a flier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20flier. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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