By the same token is an idiom that has been in use for decades. We will examine the meaning of the common idiom by the same token, where it came from, and some examples of its idiomatic usage in sentences.
By the same token is a phrase that means the statement you are about to make is true because of the same reasons that made the previous statement true. For instance, one may say, “The weather will not be hotter tomorrow; by the same token, the weather will also not be cooler tomorrow.” Both of these statements are true based on the fact that the weather is not going to change tomorrow. Note that the fact that the weather is not going to change is never stated outright. The expression by the same token is old; it has been in use since the 1400s. The definition of the word token, in this phrase, is a mark, a symbol, or evidence. The phrase is found in Shakespeare’s The History of Troilus and Cressida, 1601: “By the same token, you are a bawd.”
Examples
When poked, they will stand motionless on their hind legs, likely a defensive stance. By the same token, some members of this family will secrete a thin line of webbing from which they will drop down and hang if they sense a nearby predator. (Arizona Daily Sun)
By the same token, they are going to defend the position of the daughter, who, although not biologically, has been part of the family since she was born,” continued the statement, which added that discretion will be key. (El Pais English)
“We’re not into a lot of moral victories here, we’re in to state championships, but by the same token, I couldn’t be more proud of a group for the persistence and the relentlessness they showed.” (Las Cruces Sun News)