kill two birds with one stone
7
3.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
matar dos pájaros de un tiro
- By combining her errands, she was able to kill two birds with one stone and save time.
- figured I could kill two birds with one stone
- trying to kill two birds with one stone
But what if we could kill two birds with one stone by creating a desk that is both absurdly expensive and also nearly impossible for FedEx to destroy?
- But what if we could kill two birds with one stone by creating a desk that is both absurdly expensive and also nearly impossible for FedEx to destroy?
Examples
-
This gives us a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
-
I might kill two birds with one stone.
-
That way, we kill two birds with one stone!
-
Maybe you could kill two birds with one stone.
-
So, we are going to kill two birds with one stone.
Fiction book (1996) -
Now we kill two birds with one stone.
Fiction book (1995) -
I'll tell you how we can kill two birds with one stone.
-
That's an example of one case where you could kill two birds with one stone.
Blog text (26) -
Marketers can kill two birds with one stone, or rather engage two consumer types with one attempt.
Blog text (17) -
This method is so powerful because it figuratively kills two birds with one stone.
Blog text (8)
Synonyms
To do one thing that solves two problems
Antonyms
How Efficient
- Informal
7
3.7
30
1.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
kill + two + bird + with + one + stone
The literal image of using one stone to kill two birds directly conveys the idea of one action producing two results, so a learner who knows the constituent words can often infer the meaning 'achieve two objectives with a single action.' However, the expression is metaphorical and conventionalized (and includes cultural/violent imagery), so its exact pragmatic use and idiomatic status are not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom kill two birds with one stone comes from a simple image: someone throws one stone and it hits two birds at once. That's why it means 'to achieve two objectives with a single action'.