on deck
Idioms-
Available, ready for action, as in We had ten kids on deck to clean up after the dance . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]
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In baseball, scheduled to bat next, waiting near home plate to bat, as in Joe was on deck next . [1860s] Both usages allude to crew members being on the deck of a ship, in readiness to perform their duties.
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.
Also on deck today: AI chip maker Cerebras Systems, which is giving its first financial update since its IPO in May.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
Philadelphia police will enforce mandatory overtime during the "all hands on deck" period, Roosevelt Poplar, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, told ESPN.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Lauer did have an inkling, however, that he wasn’t going to be in the game too much longer with Nolan Arenado on deck.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Counting her out — or anyone else who has a weird semi-flop on deck after a great film — would be a mistake.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
I dress quickly and go up on deck to help load the longboat.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
