all at once

1. All at the same time, as in We can't get inside all at once, so please wait your turn . [Late 1300s]

2. Suddenly, unexpectedly, as in All at once the sky darkened . For a synonym, see all of a sudden .

Example Sentences

Anything that will be used across multiple recipes — onions, peppers, garlic, carrots, herbs, sweet potatoes, celery — gets chopped, batched, and set aside all at once.

From Salon

Toss it all over egg noodles, finish with a scatter of black pepper and chives, and you’ve got a dish that tastes like comfort, cleverness and a little subtle fire all at once.

From Salon

Such a quake would be the largest simultaneous disaster in modern California history, with huge swaths of the state wracked by powerful seismic shaking all at once.

From Los Angeles Times

Either way, this crema is the dip’s whisper of brightness and creaminess all at once.

From Salon

TJ’s Hot Honey Popcorn is “savory, salty, sweet, and spicy, all at once.”

From Salon

Related Words

• again 
• formerly 
• later 
• next 
• suddenly