eye to eye

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   In complete agreement with someone, especially when used with see to say that two people share the same opinion.

   Grammar: Used after see: we see eye to eye. It is often negative: they never see eye to eye.

   Patterns

   • see eye to eye with someone
   • see eye to eye on something

   My sister and I rarely see eye to eye on politics.

   The two managers finally saw eye to eye about the budget.

   Do you and your boss see eye to eye on this plan?

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   Looking straight into each other's eyes, at the same level, as when two people face each other closely.

   Grammar: Often follows stand or look: they stood eye to eye.

   Patterns

   • stand eye to eye with someone
   • look someone eye to eye

   The two boxers stood eye to eye before the first bell.

   She knelt so she could talk eye to eye with the toddler.

   The goalkeeper and the striker faced each other eye to eye.

Common combinations

see eye to eye

We don't always see eye to eye, but we respect each other.

not see eye to eye

Father and son did not see eye to eye about money.

rarely see eye to eye

The two neighbors rarely see eye to eye about the fence.

come to see eye to eye

After a long talk, they came to see eye to eye.

stand eye to eye

The two leaders stood eye to eye at the summit.

Synonyms and how they differ

in agreement

In agreement is neutral and formal, whereas eye to eye is a warmer, more figurative idiom about shared views.

on the same page

On the same page stresses shared understanding of a plan, while eye to eye is about shared opinion in general.

of one mind

Of one mind is more formal and suggests a group sharing one view.

in accord

In accord is formal and often used for official parties agreeing.

Opposites

Word family

eye noun

the organ used for seeing

eye-to-eye adjective

used before a noun to describe direct, level contact

eyeball verb

to stare at someone, informal

Commonly confused: eye to eye or face to face?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “eye to eye”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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