in the same breath
Idioms-
Also, in one breath . At or almost at the same time. For example, Ed complains about having too much homework and in the same breath talks about going out every night , or The twins said, in one breath, “More cake, please.” [Mid-1800s]
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not in the same breath . Not to be compared. For example, Karen's a good runner, but you can't speak of her in the same breath as an Olympic athlete . Also see in the same league .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Wales at least, Ramsey was often mentioned in the same breath.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
It was the most Iranian sentence I could imagine: despair and hope in the same breath, separated by a comma.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
But in almost in the same breath, they point out places that have become markers in this new geography of enforcement.
From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026
The people I have encountered are some of the coolest and kindest in the same breath, a rare and precious combination.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2025
Virtually in the same breath, I asked if she were allowed to have visitors at her convent.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
