two birds with one stone
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To accomplish two tasks with a single action
Literally: killing two birds with one thrown stone
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Near equivalent
một công đôi việc
to kill two birds with one stone
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
nhất cử lưỡng tiện
to kill two birds with one stone
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
nhất tiễn song điêu
to kill two birds with one stone
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
một công đôi chuyện
to kill two birds with one stone
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
một mũi tên trúng hai đích
two birds with one stone
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
kill two birds with one stone
To achieve two goals with a single action.
English · via một công đôi việc
Near equivalent
Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter (African Proverb)
History is often told from the perspective of the powerful
English · via một mũi tên trúng hai đích
Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.
Common questions
What does “two birds with one stone” mean?
To accomplish two tasks with a single action Literally: killing two birds with one thrown stone
Is “two birds with one stone” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“một công đôi việc” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.