paint-by-numbers
Britishadjective
Etymology
Origin of paint-by-numbers
C20: from children's painting books in which the colours to be used are identified by numbers on the design to be painted
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.
“It’s a paint-by-numbers, not a plan,” Allman said.
From Los Angeles Times
In the living room, portraits of Willie Nelson and Hank Williams adorn the walls, alongside paint-by-numbers artworks, a cow skull and a Bennington flag he found in a Santa Fe, N.M., antique store.
From Los Angeles Times
The league has a salary cap, as well as paint-by-numbers roster compliance rules that permit minimal flexibility on how its teams can spend money.
From Los Angeles Times
Chauncey is the least of his problems, though, when what’s been structured around those moments feels like a paint-by-numbers exercise and not a true wade into terrifying waters.
From Los Angeles Times
Like a paint-by-numbers canvas, each region of the E-map is assigned a number.
From Science Daily
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.
