at a time

phrase

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

The heavy use of VAR has also interrupted the flow of games by halting matches that weren’t meant to be halted, leaving everyone standing on the field while the referee goes off to watch TV, sometimes for minutes at a time. — Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Ling’s crew prepped, and the film crew shot, one side of Hollywood Boulevard at a time so as not to interrupt the tourism activities on the boulevard. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 11 July 2026

Getty Images Most musicians like to promote one song at a time to radio, but the biggest names in the music industry can, on occasion, push multiple tracks. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until completely melted and incorporated. — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 10 July 2026

Rhymes for at a time

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