into thin air
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
But what I didn't know was he was a member of the local mafia and didn't want to see his chance of making a fortune disappear into thin air.
However, when Mr Hayden stood up and made to show the stranger the way, the figure melted into thin air, leaving the foreman completely mystified.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “into thin air” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “into thin air” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.