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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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Unlike your typical binge watch, Heated Rivalry takes place over an almost nine-year span, often jumping months or years at a time during each episode. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2025 Calling for fewer disclosures at a time when global markets require more information about supply-chain resilience, climate risk, artificial intelligence governance, political spending, cybersecurity, and human capital — is a step backward. Andrew Behar, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025 Slumps that low only lasted a few weeks at a time in his first term, according to YouGov, but Biden had 28 consecutive weeks with approval that low toward the end of his presidency. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 5 Dec. 2025 The year’s best movies are reflections, assertions, and expansions of the art of the cinema itself, at a time when the art form is under siege from its small-screen rivals. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for at a time

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Cite this Entry

“At a time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20a%20time. Accessed 11 Dec. 2025.

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