paint-by-numbers


adjective
  1. formulaic; showing no original thought or creativity

Origin of paint-by-numbers

1
C20: from children's painting books in which the colours to be used are identified by numbers on the design to be painted

Words Nearby paint-by-numbers

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use paint-by-numbers in a sentence

  • Many Republican wags, such as David Frum and Erick Erickson, are already onto the Boehner paint-by-numbers game of the “Pledge.”

    Paul Ryan Breaks Rank | John Batchelor | September 26, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST