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.
To be clear, “global” means affecting several countries all at once, not every country.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Some areas showed clear, well-defined patterns, while nearby regions had none at all, resembling a lake where ice forms in scattered patches rather than covering the surface all at once.
From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026
A creamy chicken and rice stew, or a corn chowder that leans sweet and savory all at once.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Like prey worn down by a persistent predator, participants don’t collapse all at once; they give up gradually until the fight leaves the market altogether.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Then all at once it didn’t taste so nasty any more.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
