All Hands on Deck | Meaning & Examples
All hands on deck is an idiom that refers to a navy saying meaning that a crisis needs everyone to help out. Typically, a navy vessel’s crew is divided into “watches” so that the crew can rotate between being on duty, sleeping, and eating. In an emergency or crisis, the whole crew can be summoned to work by an all hands on deck call, traditionally on the bosun’s pipe.
When it was all hands on deck, the team pulled together superbly; no one cared about department or rank; everyone pitched in.
Michael’s biggest failing was his tendency to call all hands on deck to fix a minor problem that he probably could have sorted on his own, but he seemed to like the drama.
If you use all hands on deck in your writing, QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can make sure you use it correctly.
All hands on deck meaning
A situation that requires all hands on deck is a crisis or emergency. Behind it lies the idea that even those crew members who should be asleep or eating are required to deal with whatever the situation is.
All hands on deck is not just used in naval settings, of course, but in many walks of life. It always carries a sense of crisis or urgent action, requiring more than the usual or scheduled effort.
There are other terms related to the phrase all hands on deck, where “hand” means “sailor.” In the modern world of remote working, you might well encounter an “all hands” video conference call where everyone is expected to attend.
If you’re not sure how to use an idiom like all hands on deck, you can ask QuillBot’s free AI Chat.
- Farmhand
- Ranch hand
- Hired hand
- Factory hand
Some of those (the last one, for instance) are quite old-fashioned, but others are still current.
Frequently asked questions about all hands on deck
- What is a synonym for all hands on deck?
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There isn’t a perfect match for a synonym for all hands on deck, but these words and phrases carry some of the meaning:
- All hands to the pump (a similar navy idiom)
- Full court press (from basketball)
- Rally the troops
- Concerted effort
If you’re looking for synonyms, the free QuillBot AI Chat is a great place to ask!
