easier said than done

Idioms  

1. Also, more easily said than done. Describing something more readily talked about than accomplished, as in Keeping the cats off the sofa is easier said than done. This expression also was put as. Today, the variant (more easily) is still heard less often than the original. [c. 1450]

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Example Sentences

Critics say that setting up orbital data centers is easier said than done.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Mukherjee said the proximity of the statue to a busy road and a subway make the statue's removal "easier said than done," but that they plan to "remove the statue at the earliest opportunity."

From BBC • May 27, 2026

That’s easier said than done — and if ignoring the market’s volatility is impossible, you should turn off the financial news altogether.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

For many nations -- particularly developing fossil fuel producers -- phasing out a major source of state revenue is easier said than done.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

All of this is easier said than done, of course.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• ambitious
• arduous
• burdensome
• challenging
• crucial
• demanding
• laborious
• onerous
• painful
• problematic
• severe
• strenuous
• tough
• troublesome