all-hands-on-deck

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a situation in which every available person is needed or called to assist

an all-hands-on-deck effort

"Overwhelmingly the response I heard is that we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin," [Governor Tony] Evers said.—

Scott Bauer

Examples of all-hands-on-deck in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Rhonda’s murder would seem to be the kind of all-hands-on-deck crisis that makes for an exciting Mayor of Kingstown. —

Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 July 2024 As a region’s personnel and resources shift towards managing the disaster in an all-hands-on-deck approach, routine medical care can get placed on the back burner. —

Henna Hundal, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 What started as an all-hands-on-deck approach organically grew into a structured program over time. —

Jack Kelly, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Each match culminates in an all-hands-on-deck fight against the enemy’s Patron, a gigantic floating orb with arms and death rays. —

Sean Hollister, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for all-hands-on-deck

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of all-hands-on-deck was in 1935

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“All-hands-on-deck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-hands-on-deck. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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