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

GLP-1s are reshaping what’s possible in weight management at a time when nearly 75% of American adults live with overweight or obesity. —Tara Comonte, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026

Then, the dealerships submit voucher requests — for up to 20 vehicles at a time for most businesses — to obtain those incentives. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Founder Efstathios Lampsas, a cook at the royal court who trained in Paris, had the chutzpah to introduce a truly grand hotel to Athens at a time when tourism infrastructure was almost non-existent. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026

Nurses in my unit are often responsible for 10, 12, or 15 patients at a time — that number doubles when one of us needs a break to eat or use the bathroom during our 12-hour shift. —Diana Torres, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for at a time

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