be shooting for the same target

Of two or more people, to be working toward the same aim or goal. Look, I know we disagree sometimes, but we're still shooting for the same target here—we both want Mom to get the best medical care possible. I thought we were shooting for the same target, but now it seems like he's been trying to advance his own agenda this whole time! Can we all please just work together on this? Come on, guys, we're all shooting for the same target here.

dead on target

1. Precisely aimed, as of a shot or throw. His shot was dead on target from nearly midfield, placed perfectly in the corner of the goal. That pitcher has been throwing dead on target all game, striking out nearly every batter. A: "Look at that—dead on target! A bull's-eye!" B: "Wow, who knew Will was actually pretty good at darts?"

2. Exactly correct or to the intended point. I think her speech was dead on target about what this country needs to prioritize for the future. I won the contest because my guess was dead on target. I had to do that disgruntled employee's exit interview, and, I have to say, her assessment of the company—and its dysfunction—was dead on target.

hit two targets with one arrow

To complete, achieve, or take care of two tasks at the same time or with a singular series of actions; to solve two problems with one action or solution. I might as well hit two targets with one arrow and drop off my tax forms while I'm at the mall for the computer part I need. Bike-to-work schemes are a great way of hitting two targets with one arrow—getting more exercise while cutting down on the cost of your daily commute. Hey, if Anna moved in with you, you'd hit two targets with one arrow—you'd spend less on rent, and you wouldn't be alone all the time.

moving target

Alludes to a physical target, as for a gun, that continually moves or changes position.

1. Someone who continually moves or changes position, as to evade someone or something else. The spy ducked and weaved, doing everything he could to be a moving target for the assassin chasing him.

2. An object of criticism or verbal attack that changes in a ways so as to make such attacks difficult. The company has long been a moving target for investigators, constantly changing its financial methods in order to obfuscate any wrongdoing. The senator tried to nail down his opponent in the debate, but the latter remained a moving target on the controversial issue.

3. A desired goal, end, or object that remains in a state of constant or frequent change and thus is difficult to obtain or achieve. But reliable data on the issue continues to be a moving target, due to the hugely varied—and often inaccurate—means by which it is collected. I know that success in this industry can feel like a moving target—just when you start seeing results, the nature of the job changes again.

on target

As predicted, expected, or planned; totally accurate or precise. Her figures for the tax bill were right on target. The new doctor is a walking encyclopedia—she's always on target with her observations.

See also: on, target

on-target

Very accurate; precise. So far their forecasts have been on-target, so I suggest we heed their warning. I must say, Robert, your analysis is right on-target.

running target

1. A target that is moved as one attempts to hit it with bullets from a firearm. My accuracy is not the greatest, so I'm definitely not ready to work with running targets.

2. Something that frequently changes, making it difficult to achieve, define, understand, etc. Sometimes, work in the medical field it's so fast-paced that it feels like you're trying to hit a running target.

target (someone or something) as (something)

To intend or aim for someone or something to become something or serve some purpose. The party targeted her as a viable presidential candidate very early on. We're targeting May as the launch period for our next product.

Target run

A shopping trip to the department store Target. A: "How does every Target run end up costing me at least $50?" B: "Because you say you're only getting milk and paper towels, and then you come home with 12 other things."

on target

on schedule; exactly as predicted. Your estimate of the cost was right on target. My prediction was not on target.

See also: on, target

target someone or something as something

to aim at someone or something as something; to choose someone or something as someone or something. The board targeted Alice as a potential candidate. We targeted the first of August as the starting date.

on target

Completely accurate, wholly valid, as in Our cost estimates were right on target, or His criticisms were on target. This seemingly old expression dates only from the mid-1900s, and the colloquial use of target for a goal one wishes to achieve dates from about 1940.

See also: on, target

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

be shooting for the same target

If two people are shooting for the same target, they are in agreement about what they are trying to achieve together. Two brains are better than one in this area, especially when they're shooting for the same target. Just so we can be sure we're both shooting at the same target, here's a summary of what will happen on Friday night.

a ˌsitting ˈduck/ˈtarget

a person or thing that is very easy to attack or criticize: It’s always easy to criticize teachers; they’re just sitting ducks.

on-target

mod. timely; exact; incisive. Your criticism is exactly on-target.

on target

Completely accurate, precise, or valid: observations that were right on target.

See also: on, target

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

See also:

References in periodicals archive

Without the necessary assets, staff S2s cannot complete the F3EAD targeting cycle.

Another common problem was establishing standardized criteria for lethal targeting. Units would attempt to kill or capture a target without a complete target picture.

Who's driving this train? Targeting in the coin fight: observations and recommendations

Inflation targeting in the United States would lock in the good aspects of the Greenspan era for the future, and reduce or eliminate some less good aspects, for instance, the dependency of U.S.

Thus, the ceiling is different from monetary targeting as practiced by the Bundesbank who announced a target corridor, or more precisely a funnel, for the future money stock that would be in line with price level stability.

Inflation targeting: should the Federal Reserve in its conduct of monetary policy follow the European Central Bank and adopt some form of inflation target range? TIE asked thirteen distinguished experts

Another feature of all the targeting regimes discussed here is the increased accountability of the central bank.

Inflation targeting may thus be seen as consistent with an appropriate role for a central bank in a democratic society: though inflation performance may improve by insulating a central bank from short-term political pressures on interest rate decisions, a central bank can only sustain such performance by remaining highly accountable to the political process over the medium term for achieving appropriate, stated goals.

Conclusions: what have we learned?

The process above was utilized for the full suite of intelligence collection/target acquisition assets which provided targetable data within the published targeting standards and assisted the FAIO in providing recommendations to ACE chief on changes to high value targets.

In addition to the 400 calls for fire/fire mission requests sent from the FAIO with the dynamic targeting process; the FAIO additionally passed 100 targets to the JAGIC and AI COORD using this technique.

The Integration of Intelligence with Operations during Danger Express

Recognizing the need to make it work effectively, the brigade staff began to review the targeting process by developing a targeting synchronization matrix.

Targeting in an engineer brigade

I see three consequences of using the term targeting in the sustainment planning and synchronization process.

Logisticians are sustainers, not targeters

* Targeting is part of a larger set of processes, including formal planning, the joint air estimate process, and the tasking cycle that ultimately produces guidance such as the daily air tasking order.

New USAF doctrine publication: Air Force doctrine document 2-1.9, targeting

A general targeting rule describes the specification of a central bank's objective function, whereas a specific targeting rule is a description of optimal policy behavior derived from both the central bank's objective function and a model of the economy.

Summary of papers presented at the conference "models and monetary policy: research in the tradition of Dale Henderson, Richard Porter, and Peter Tinsley"

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, commercialization and licensing of unique technologies for the treatment of cancer, primarily based on three collateral targeting technologies.

AFFITECH/PEREGRINE TO PRODUCE HUMAN TARGETING AGENT ANTIBODIES

Practical inflation targeting has several common characteristics: 1) an announced quantitative inflation target, varying across countries between 1.5 and 2.5 percent per year, in most countries with a tolerance band of plus/minus 1 percentage point around the target; 2) no explicit rule on how the central bank shall set its instrument; 3) a floating exchange rate (except for Finland and Spain, which are members of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, although the wide exchange rate bands there so far have not created any conflict between the inflation target and the exchange rate target); and 4) a high degree of transparency and accountability.

Monetary policy and inflation targeting

Because inflation targeting by its very nature requires a numerical value for the target, setting such a target requires explicit answers to several questions about how the target is defined and measured.

Design issues in the implementation of inflation targets