idiom · neutral
think on one's feet
UK/θɪŋk ɒn wʌnz fiːt/US/θɪŋk ɑn wʌnz fiːt/THINK·on·ONE'S·FEET
to be able to respond quickly and effectively without preparation
Examples
“In the interview she had to think on her feet when the panel threw unexpected questions.”
“Good debaters must think on their feet.”
“During the Q&A he thought on his feet and gave a clear answer.”
Band 8 sentence
“As the examiner changed the topic unexpectedly, I had to think on my feet and link my answer to familiar examples.”
Collocations
- have to think on one's feet
- be able to think on your feet
Word family
Common mistakes
think in one's feet→think on one's feet
think on my foot→think on my feet
Say it for a higher band
5think quickly→6respond quickly→7+think on one's feet
Synonyms
be quick on the uptake
Easily confused
be quick on the uptake
“She was quick on the uptake and understood the new concept immediately.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Study
Learn it with its set