like shooting fish in a barrel

Idioms and Phrases

Ridiculously easy, as in Setting up a computer nowadays is like shooting fish in a barrel . This hyperbolic expression alludes to the fact that fish make an easy target inside a barrel (as opposed to swimming freely in the sea). [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

The rest of the first period was like shooting fish in a barrel.

From Seattle Times

It’s like shooting fish in a barrel to point out that this historical analysis is impossible to square with the court’s recognition of other unenumerated and previously criminalized rights that the opinion insists it does not put at risk — for example, same-sex and interracial marriage, the use of contraception and engaging in homosexual sex.

From Los Angeles Times

"For all of these guys, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. If you could do the minimum amount of due diligence required, you could fill up the pipeline with these applications," said a former Kabbage executive, one of four former employees interviewed by ProPublica.

From Salon

Leading up to the Fourth of July, fire officials set up checkpoints along strategic border entry points, “and it’s literally like shooting fish in a barrel,” Horton said.

From Los Angeles Times

“Making fun of evangelicals, while noble, is like shooting fish in a barrel,” said Mr. Daro, who has written for “Saturday Night Live.”

From Washington Times