kill two birds with one stone

1. To accomplish two objectives with a single action: “If we can get gas and have lunch at the next rest stop, we will be killing two birds with one stone.”

Idioms and Phrases

Achieve two ends with a single effort, as in As long as I was in town on business, I thought I'd kill two birds and visit my uncle too. This expression is so well known that it is often shortened, as in the example. [c. 1600]

Example Sentences

Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democrat whose district includes a significant portion of Prince George’s, said lawmakers made it clear during the meeting “that we can kill two birds with one stone with this.”

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"They need more capacity. Belarus offered to provide it and perhaps kill two birds with one stone: threaten Ukraine with a potential new offensive from the north. It's just a bluff."

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“My teacher asked us to plaster cast something that could retain its shape, and I thought, ‘Why don’t I kill two birds with one stone?’

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That will be killing two birds with one stone, certainly.

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It'll be a good opportunity," I said to myself, "to kill two birds with one stone.

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