at a time

idiom

: 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.

: 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 Lena takes only two dogs at a time and incorporates them into her family, so your pup is sure to get lots of special attention. —

Alexandra Maloney, Charlotte Observer, 6 June 2024 Problems arise when students’ classes are only offered at a time that doesn’t work with their medication schedule. —

Olivia Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024 Landslides there have interrupted train traffic to San Diego for weeks at a time in recent years. —

Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2024 The telescope was launched with six ultra-stable gyroscopes, but only three at a time are needed for normal operation. —

William Harwood, CBS News, 4 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for at a time

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at a time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.