Meaning & use
fly-by
A low, close pass by an aircraft or spacecraft over or near something in order to observe it.
See it in a sentence
The satellite made a fly-by of the asteroid and sent back detailed images of its surface.
The pilots performed a fly-by over the runway before landing to check the plane's landing gear.
A note on using this word
Fly-by is often written as one word (flyby) in American English, especially in scientific and spacecraft contexts; keep the spelling consistent within a text.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Done quickly and carelessly in passing, without proper attention or commitment.
He dismissed the proposal with a fly-by comment that showed he hadn't read it closely.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fly-by”, then compare your use with the examples above.