# fly under the radar

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fly-under-the-radar
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To go unnoticed, especially for a long period of time.

## Examples

- He tries to fly under the radar at work.
- Small mistakes often fly under the radar if nobody checks the final report.
- The company kept its new project secret to fly under the radar until the official launch.
- The quiet student managed to fly under the radar for the whole semester because he never raised his hand or caused any trouble in class.
- By maintaining a modest lifestyle and avoiding public attention, the author managed to fly under the radar for decades while writing her best-selling novels.

## Origin

From military contexts of the mid-20th century, the phrase describes the manoeuvre of a pilot flying an aircraft at a sufficiently low altitude to escape detection by radar pulses. The curvature of the earth and the presence of terrestrial obstructions create a zone near the ground where a signal cannot penetrate, a physical limitation that allowed for unobserved movement. The idiom transitioned from technical aviation parlance into general English to denote any action taken to avoid notice.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.