tar with the same brush

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tar with the same brush

/ˈtaː wɪ‿ðə seɪm ˈbɹʌʃ/ UK
/ˈtaɹ wɪ‿ðə seɪm ˈbɹʌʃ/ US

Rhymes with -ʌʃ

Where it comes from

From tar (“to coat with tar; to besmirch”), in the sense of two or more persons or things being soiled with the same thing.

verb tars with the same brush · tarring with the same brush · tarred with the same brush

figuratively, transitive To characterize (someone or something) using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly. The C Party have tarred themselves with the same brush as the B Party.
Similar: paint with the same brush, tar with the same stick

Translations

Every language

verb to characterize (someone or something) using the same undesirable attribute, especially unjustly

Español	meter en el mismo saco
中文	一竿子打翻一船人 yī gānzi dǎfān yī chuán rén
Français	fourrer dans le même sac, mettre dans le même panier, mettre dans le même sac
Deutsch	über einen Kamm scheren
Italiano	fare d'ogni erba un fascio
Română	arunca în aceeași oală
Русский	косить под одну гребёнку kositʹ pod odnu grebjónku

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MLA

"tar with the same brush." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tar%20with%20the%20same%20brush. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

tar with the same brush. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tar%20with%20the%20same%20brush

Chicago

"tar with the same brush." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tar%20with%20the%20same%20brush.

BibTeX

@misc{tar_with_the_same_brush_2026,
  title = {tar with the same brush},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tar%20with%20the%20same%20brush},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}