all hands on deck
Meaning
Everyone must help immediately; all available people are needed for an urgent task or problem.
Origin
From naval language: in an emergency, the captain ordered “all hands on deck,” meaning all crew members report to the ship’s deck to help.
Notes
Urgent, rallying tone implying a situation needs everyone’s effort right now. Common in work/crisis contexts; can sound like a command or strong request.
Examples
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We’re behind schedule, so it’s all hands on deck to finish the report by Friday.
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When the servers went down, it was all hands on deck to get the website back online.
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The restaurant called for all hands on deck during the holiday rush.
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With the storm approaching, the crew went all hands on deck to secure the equipment.
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Launching the new product will be all hands on deck for the entire marketing team.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Typically used as a predicate or call to action: “It’s all hands on deck,” “We need all hands on deck.” Usually fixed; “hands” is plural and rarely changed.
Synonyms
- everyone pitch in
- all hands
- all hands to the pump
- all hands aboard
- many hands make light work
Antonyms
- hands off
- business as usual