all hands on deck

[ 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.

Origin of all hands on deck

1
First recorded in 1680–90
  • Sometimes all hands [awl-handz] /ˈɔl ˈhændz/ .

Words Nearby all hands on deck

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use all hands on deck in a sentence