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Glite Dictionary
to sing the same tune

to sing the same tune

1 4.6
To agree with others, often in public
  • idiom
translation icon : estar de acuerdo
  • If I remember correctly, he went after Rick Perry hammer and tongue over the issue, and now he's singing the same tune.

They know the day that Hamas launched these attacks in Israel, every Biden administration spokesman was singing the same tune.

Examples

  • They sing the same tune

    Blazing Saddles (1974)

  • Joel Klein is doing it in New York City, Paul Vallas is doing it in New Orleans; in fact, every graduate of the Broad Center for Superintendents is singing the same tune.

    Blog text (26)

  • The committee members are all singing the same tune about the need for budget cuts.

  • After much debate, the politicians began singing the same tune regarding climate change policies.

  • During the presentation, all the experts were singing the same tune about the importance of education reform.

Synonyms

to follow the crowd
vsto sing the same tune
  • Informal
3 3.2

To do what most people do without using your own ideas

expresses public agreement willingly and not necessarily from thoughtless copying
to sing from the same hymnbook
vsto sing the same tune
  • Informal
6.8

To agree with others and express the same view

expresses the same opinion publicly rather than emphasising joint coordinated action

Antonyms

to disagree
∞ 1.0

Have a different opinion from someone

How Much Agreement

to concur
47 6.4
to sing the same tune
1 4.6
to agree
∞ 1.0
to disagree
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

sing the same tune infinitive
singing the same tune present participle
sings the same tune third person singular
sang the same tune past
sung the same tune past participle

Morphology

sing + the + same + tune

The phrase uses literal words ('sing' + 'tune') but the intended meaning 'to express the same opinion' is a metaphorical extension rather than a direct compositional reading of the constituents. The connection is inferable (singing the same melody maps onto sharing the same view) and is found in some other languages, so learners may guess it, but it is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom sing the same tune comes from the simple image of people singing one song together. When everyone sings the same tune, they match each other and show the same view, so the phrase means 'to agree' or 'to express the same opinion'.