all at once
Idioms-
All at the same time, as in We can't get inside all at once, so please wait your turn . [Late 1300s]
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Suddenly, unexpectedly, as in All at once the sky darkened . For a synonym, see all of a sudden .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It did not happen all at once, the way a demolition does.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
But it is unusual for so many commanders to file such notes all at once in the middle of a combat operation.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Generally, five minutes a day is better than 30 minutes all at once if you can do it daily or at least three times a week,” Burbank says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"If you hold the colander to the Sun and you look away from the Sun, protecting your eyes, you can make not just one picture of the Sun but a hundred all at once."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The music drifted across the pews, sweet and sad and hopeful all at once.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
