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Synonyms

at the ready

Idioms  

  1. Available for immediate use, as in Umbrellas at the ready, we were prepared to brave the storm. This idiom was originally a military term in which the ready denoted the position of a firearm prepared to be raised and aimed or fired. [First half of 1800s]

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.

On a foggy winter morning captain Khetsopon Nopsiri led a six-strong Thai army patrol along dirt tracks through the forest, assault rifles at the ready.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

With cameras always at the ready they have managed to capture this year's weather stories with an added dash of celestial sparkle too.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

Check the weather forecasts, download all the maps on your Garmin, notify people of your plans, pack enough food and water and have emergency supplies at the ready.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Canned answers to prying questions about career mistakes and bumps in our personal lives must be at the ready the moment the festivities begin.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

Lydia didn’t have any joke at the ready, which meant she liked the idea.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

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.