in the air

phrase

: being felt or expressed by many people : in wide circulation
There was a sense of anticipation in the air.

Examples of in the air in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These have enough sweetness to brown and almost glaze in the air fryer, and barely any chile heat. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026 But as summer turns to fall, her rituals grow cozier, moving indoors while also recognizing the beauty of the new chill in the air, the crisp frost on the leaves. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 Health officials said the chemical was mostly an irritant so far, causing watery eyes, and that tests were ongoing to determine how much toxicity was in the air. — John Seewer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 From a few hundred feet in the air, the utility poles are easy enough to see. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for in the air

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in the air was in 1853

Rhymes for in the air

See All Rhymes for in the air

Browse Nearby Words

in the aggregate
in the air
in the altogether
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In the air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20air. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All