at a word

Idioms  

1. In immediate response, at an instant. For example, At a word from the captain they lined up in order. [c. 1300]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at a word

Tracking along with his finger, the boy kept a steady pace, but paused at a word on the second line.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2021

Remediate, he thought: Orwell would spit at a word like that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2021

Keep looking and they start to accrue into strings, as when you stare at a word search.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2020

He added, “I like your style. Just look at a word and see if it’s one I would use. Because ‘magic’ isn’t one I’d use.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2019

Ylla laid herself back in the canopy and, at a word from her husband, the birds leaped, burning, toward the dark sky.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury