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general::
Phrase(s): equate someone to someone else [and] equate something to something else
to claim that someone is in some manner the same as someone else; to claim that something is in some manner the same as something else. • I would equate Tom to Wally when it comes to native ability. • You cannot equate my car to that jalopy you drive!
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs