around the clock
Meaning
Continuously, 24 hours a day, without stopping (often in shifts).
Origin
From the idea of the hands moving around a clock face all day and night; popularized in the earlyβmid 20th century, especially in industrial and wartime contexts for nonstop work.
Notes
Means nonstop/24-7, often implying shifts so coverage continues. Common for services, monitoring, production, or intense work periods; slightly emphatic.
Examples
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The nurses worked around the clock to care for the patients.
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We ran the servers around the clock during the product launch.
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After the storm, crews worked around the clock to restore power.
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The factory operates around the clock to meet demand.
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She studied around the clock before the final exam.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Used as an adverbial phrase: work/run/operate/monitor around the clock. Occasionally hyphenated as an adjective before a noun: around-the-clock service/care. Fixed wording; not *around clocks*.
Synonyms
- 24/7
- day and night
- nonstop
- round-the-clock
Antonyms
- only during business hours
- part-time
- intermittently