on the same wavelength
6
3.8
- idiom
:
en la misma sintonía
- I felt like we were on the same wavelength.
If you, if you think the person is on the same wavelength as you, then no.
- If you, if you think the person is on the same wavelength as you, then no.
- They really like on the same wavelength with all of that.
- It was attractive to Wildman, the fact that they were like violent cave people on the same wavelength.
- I was just you and VWI was just surrounded by And when you're on the same wavelength and when they make bad passes into good passes, it's easy.
Examples
-
What I usually like to do is hold a brief orientation session to get us all on the same wavelength.
Fiction book (1995) -
And it's a huge advantage to have two people who are sort of on the same wavelength about things working together.
-
You and I are on the same wavelength, and I thank you for your support.
Blog text (24) -
Well, we are obviously on the same wavelength.
Blog text (9) -
I'm so glad to feel like we're on the same wavelength.
Blog text (28) -
We've always been on the same wavelength, Eric.
-
I just hadn't realized that we were on the same wavelength here.
Fiction book (1997) -
You and I are so on the same wavelength here (at least about the music) that it is scary!
Blog text (15) -
I felt for the first time in my life that I was on the same wavelength as one of my teachers and that we were looking at each other as equals.
Academic text (2009) -
It's reassuring to know that my partner and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to our goals.
Synonyms
79
3.4
Having the same view about a plan or goal
71
2.1
Being of the same opinion as other people
36
3.7
To have the same opinion as someone
35
3.7
People who have similar opinions and interests
A situation where people understand each other and agree
To agree with others and express the same view
People or things that have similar beliefs and qualities
How Aligned
Surface Forms
Morphology
on + the + same + wavelength
The phrase maps the physical term 'wavelength' metaphorically onto mental alignment, so combining 'same' + 'wavelength' signals a shared pattern or frequency of thought and a learner who knows those constituents can plausibly infer 'having a similar way of thinking'. Because this meaning depends on a conventionalized metaphor (and on knowing the technical noun 'wavelength') rather than fully literal composition, it is not completely transparent despite being cross-linguistically familiar.
Etymology
The phrase on the same wavelength comes from radio and music. When two radios are tuned to the same wavelength, their signals match and they can hear each other clearly, so the phrase now means 'having the same ideas' or 'in agreement'.