at a time

idiom

1

: during one particular moment

I can only do one thing at a time.

Please speak one at a time and not all at once.

We carried the boxes two at a time up the stairs.

2

: during one period of time without stopping

She can sit and read for hours at a time.

Examples of at a time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To be frank with you, and especially at a time when there is so much office space downtown that can be utilized at a fraction of the cost. —Jack Fink, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026

But House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said the increases for state employees have been too high in recent years at a time when many state residents are struggling financially. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026

Humans can only focus cognitive attention on one task at a time. —Vanessa Countryman, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026

James McAtee, Dilane Bakwa and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all withdrawn at half-time, at a time when Forest trailed 2-0. —Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for at a time

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime