all hands on deck

Sometimes all hands

[awl handz on dek]

interjection

1. (used as an order to all members of a ship’s crew to report to the deck at once, as in an emergency).

   We were roused from our bunks by shouts of “All hands on deck!”

idiom

1. (used as a call for the immediate assistance of everyone present or available).

   We only have two days till the deadline, people, so—all hands on deck!

2. immediate and concerted effort, or a situation that calls for it.

   We can nip crime in the bud if we go at it with all hands on deck.

   If the server goes down, it’s going to be all hands on deck.

Word History and Origins

Origin of all hands on deck¹

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

“These things take time. I need all hands on deck. You kids know what that means?”

Read more on Literature

Living apart from Daddy required all hands on deck.

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The era required all hands on deck.

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“We are all hands on deck to make sure all traffic is served without errors,” she said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The holidays call for “all hands on deck”—as Portugalia wrote in a recent seasonal hiring posting for its warehouse that fills online orders.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal