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

For those in regions closer to Western Europe, there’s electricity, but only for a few hours at a time due to nationwide energy rationing. —Sophia Panych, Allure, 24 Feb. 2026

For anyone who has spent years making a house a home, these small gestures are a way of honoring that home all over again, one thoughtful detail at a time. —Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026

These are solar farms that can power tens and thousands of houses at a time. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026

The companies positioned the collaboration as an ongoing hiring pipeline—one that blends craft training, retail service standards and direct employment opportunities at a time when skilled tailoring talent remains in short supply. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for at a time

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