flying solo
Operating without partners
Flying solo means doing something alone, without a partner or team.
The phrase comes from aviation, where a pilot flies solo when operating an aircraft without an instructor or copilot.
It now applies broadly to any independent effort: She's flying solo on this project, He went to the party flying solo.
The tone is usually positive, suggesting self-reliance rather than isolation.
- aloneWithout others present
- independentFree from external control
- singleOne in number
- single lifeState of being unpartnered
- solitaryExisting alone, apart
on my own · unaccompanied · pilot · cockpit · wings · spreading wings · taking off · freedom · self-reliant · bachelor · bachelorette · autonomous · aviator · airborne · untethered · lone wolf · maverick · free spirit
- adolescencepuberty, teenager, coming-of-age, growing up, teen
- independencefreedom, liberty, Independence Day, autonomy, sovereignty
- singlessingle, bachelor, bachelorette, unmarried, unwed
flying soloteamwork
Joint effort toward shared aim
working together · collaborating · collaboration · joining forces · group work
flying soloin a relationship
Committed to a partner
taken · partnered · attached · married · paired off
flying solohand-holding
Excessive guidance or support
supervised · with training wheels · guided · mentored · assisted
fly, flying, solo, flown, flies, flier, flyer, flight, solos