all at once
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all at once
1. Simultaneously. Don't answer all at once. One at a time, please. I'm totally exhausted—there have just been so many things going on all at once lately. Naturally, everyone showed up for the party all at once.
2. Suddenly and without warning. All at once, Henry began feeling sick. All at once, the security alarms started going off! Does anyone know how to make them stop? I don't know what came over me. I was fine—then, all at once, I felt incredibly dizzy.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
all at once
1. Lit. all at the same time. The entire group spoke all at once.
2. Fig. suddenly. All at once the little girl fell out of her chair.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
all at once
1. All at the same time, as in We can't get inside all at once, so please wait your turn. [Late 1300s]
2. Suddenly, unexpectedly, as in All at once the sky darkened. For a synonym, see all of a sudden.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ˌall at ˈonce
suddenly: All at once it began to rain.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017