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.
Or, be sure you have a friend on deck who is willing to attend should the other person cancel.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
"Come tomorrow morning it will be all hands on deck to dry up the areas that aren't under the covers," he added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
"I don't think we have any more time to wait. This is all hands on deck."
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
As in an ocean liner, where one enjoyed life on deck, the principal experience of Fallingwater was to be outdoors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Everyone on deck is occupied in their own particular obsession.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
