double-barrelled approach

6.6

Using two different actions at the same time to reach a goal

noun
/ˈdʌbəlˌbɛrəl əˈproʊtʃ/

: enfoque de doble cañón

To tackle rising costs, the company took a double-barrelled approach by negotiating with suppliers and reducing waste.

Examples

Their double-barrelled approach involved increasing marketing efforts while also refining product quality.
The manager implemented a double-barrelled approach to improve both employee morale and productivity.
The team adopted a double-barrelled approach to tackle climate change.
Our double-barrelled approach combines education and technology.
The manager implemented a double-barrelled approach to improve both employee morale and productivity.
Their double-barrelled approach involved increasing marketing efforts while also refining product quality.
To tackle rising costs, the company took a double-barrelled approach by negotiating with suppliers and reducing waste.

How Many

multipronged

1 6.0

double-barrelled approach

6.6

singletrack

6.6

Surface Forms

double-barrelled approach singular

double-barrelled approaches plural

double-barreled approaches plural

double-barreled approach singular

Morphology

double-barreled + approach

The meaning is directly compositional: 'double-barrelled' conveys a twofold or two-pronged quality and 'approach' means a method, so the combined sense of a method using two coordinated tactics is predictable. Although the phrase draws on a firearm metaphor, the constituent meanings make the overall sense transparent to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Double-barrelled approach comes from the image of a gun with two barrels, where double and barrelled show two barrels that fire together. When both barrels fire you get two shots at once, so the phrase means 'two methods used together' to reach a goal.