at one fell swoop

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at one fell swoop and in one fell swoop

Fig. in a single incident; as a single event. (This phrase preserves the old word fell, meaning "terrible" or "deadly.") The party guests ate up all the snacks at one fell swoop. When the stock market crashed, many large fortunes were wiped out in one fell swoop.

See also: fell, one, swoop

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It was delightful to be rid of Seesaw's hateful presence; but otherwise the loss of several playmates at one fell swoop made rather a gap in Riverboro's "younger set," and Rebecca was obliged to make friends with the Robinson baby, he being the only long-clothes child in the village that winter. Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm by Wiggin, Kate Douglas View in context I invested the whole of my capital, at one fell swoop, in advertisements, and purchased my drugs and my pill-boxes on credit. No Name by Collins, Wilkie View in context			at hand at hazard at heart at heels at home at home with at issue at it again at knee at large at last at least at least so many at leisure at length at liberty at loggerheads at loose ends at low ebb at most at mother's knee at night at no time at odds at once at one fell swoop at one sitting at one time at one time or another at own game at pains to at peace at peace with at play at point-blank range at present at random at regular intervals at request at rest at risk at sea at sea level at service at sixes and sevens at some time sharp at stake at that rate at the appointed time at the back of beyond at the back of mind			AT motherboard at my command at my command At My Earliest Convenience At Night at night all cats are gray at night all cats are gray at night all cats are gray AT NO AT NO AT NO AT NO AT NO At No Expense to the Government at no period at no time at no time at odds at odds at odds at odds at odds over at odds with at once at once at once at once at one at one at one at one fell swoop at one sitting at one stroke at one stroke at one stroke at one stroke at one stroke at one time at one time at one time at one time at one time at one time or another at one with At one's peril at one’s disposal at one’s end at one’s own risk At or Above At or Below at other times known as at outs at outs at outs at own game at own risk at own risk at own risk at own risk at own risk at pains to

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