spread one's wings

verb

To experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities.

Similar
expand one's wingsstretch one's wingstry one's wings
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Meanings

verbspread one's wings (third-person singular simple present spreads one's wings, present participle spreading one's wings, simple past and past participle spread one's wings)

present singular third person spreads one's wings · participle present spreading one's wings

  1. idiomaticTo experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities.

    It's time to spread our wings and fly. Don't let another day go by my love

    1980, John Lennon, (Just Like) Starting Over
    1 more example

    By this time, largely inspired by The Railway Magazine, I had begun to spread my wings, and had started on a long career of railway exploration.

    1957 July 28, M. D. Greville, “A Diamond Jubilee of Railway Memories”, in Railway Magazine, page 459

    Synonyms: expand one's wings, stretch one's wings, try one's wings

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities.

Similar
expand one's wingsstretch one's wingstry one's wings
Also see
expand one's wingsstretch one's wingstry one's wings

Translations

Hungarian bontogatja a szárnyait, próbálgatja a szárnyait
  • bontogatja a szárnyaitto experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
  • próbálgatja a szárnyaitto experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
  • saját lábára állto experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
  • önálló életet kezdto experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
  • próbára teszi magátto experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
Japanese 羽ばたく
  • 羽ばたく (habataku)to experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
Russian распра́вить кры́лья
  • распра́вить кры́лья (rasprávitʹ krýlʹja)to experiment in life; to find out what one is capable of; to try new things or activities
Cite this entry
APA

spread one's wings. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spread%20one's%20wings

MLA

“spread one's wings.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spread%20one's%20wings. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spread one's wings,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spread%20one's%20wings.

Source: spread one's wings on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.