into thin air

Idioms

Also, into the blue. Completely disappeared, as in The report was here on my desk and now it's gone, vanished into thin air, or I don't know where they've gone—into the blue, for all I know. Both of these hyperbolic expressions, often preceded by vanish as in the first example, use the rarefied atmosphere far above the earth as a metaphor for an unknown location. Shakespeare wrote of ghosts that “melted . . . into thin air” (The Tempest, 4:1). An antonym for both is out of thin air, meaning “from an unknown place or source.” For example, She made up this excuse out of thin air, or The car appeared out of thin air. However, out of the blue is not precisely an antonym (see under out of a clear blue sky).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It held, so, taking a deep breath, I stepped into thin air with nothing between me and an eight-story drop but a rusty twisted frame of metal, and I was reminded again that this was the real deal.

From Literature

The family of a missing student who "vanished into thin air" two years ago say they "continue to keep hope alive" in a desperate hunt for answers.

From BBC

"He's just vanished into thin air. I genuinely feel that somebody does know something."

From BBC

“You think the pilot and flight crew just vanished into thin air,” Katherine said, her voice ringing with confidence.

From Literature

The scene had been clear and distinct, and he really had seen Angela vanish into thin air.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023