AT ONE FELL SWOOP

at one fell swoop: translation

at one fell swoop & 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.

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