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
The transformation did not happen all at once.
From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026
“But rates dipped just before the war, and everyone seemed to come out all at once to bid for homes that had been on the market for over 20 days.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Where long-simmered soups deepen gradually, these come alive all at once.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Slowly at first, then all at once, it blossomed purple, then pink, now orange and gold.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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.
