English idiom

round the clock

Register · Neutral CEFR B1

Post

Figurative meaning

continuously, throughout all twenty-four hours of the day

Why this phrase?

The activity is pictured as continuing all the way around a clock face.

Example

“Emergency crews worked round the clock to restore power.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

around the clock

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

in the fast lane

living or working at an intense pace often associated with excitement and risk

shut up shop

to stop working for the day or to close a business permanently

bright and early

at the very start of the morning

early bird

someone who prefers beginning the day before most other people

hang on a minute

used to ask someone to wait, or to express surprise or objection

so far so good

used to say that things have gone well up to now

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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