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.
“They are keeping it close to the vest what they are buying,” Buchta said, adding that Freddie and Fannie aren’t going to come in and purchase $200 billion all at once.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
When you eat a huge burrito, the biggest dilemma is whether you should save half for later or eat the beast all at once.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
This delayed infall means the entire star does not collapse all at once.
From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026
Instead of expensing capex all at once, it happens over several years.
From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026
What was left was shape: every shape seen from every angle all at once.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
