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Definitions

fly-by-night

[flahy-bahy-nahyt] / ˈflaɪ baɪˌnaɪt /
ADJECTIVE
unreliable and shady
Synonyms
STRONG
brief cowboy ephemeral passing temporary
WEAK
disreputable dubious evanescent fleeting here-today-gone-tomorrow impermanent irresponsible momentary not to be relied upon not to be trusted questionable shady shifty short-lived slimy slippery treacherous trustless undependable unprofessional unreliable unsure untrustworthy
Antonyms
STRONG
enduring lasting long permanent
WEAK
dependable reliable reputable responsible trustworthy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

State subsidies are paid directly to child-care providers, which could enable fraudsters to set up fly-by-night day care to bilk the government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

A fly-by-night journalism outlet called BNN Breaking had used an A.I. chatbot to paraphrase an article from another news site, according to a BNN employee.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

“I hired this fly-by-night team who set up the balloon in this wooded area,” Levine said.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024

Experts say the problem is fueled by the ease of setting up a fly-by-night operation online to move goods.

From Washington Times • Jan. 1, 2024

And, God knows, Will had plenty of experience with fly-by-night ideas.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck