in one fell swoop (also: at one fell swoop)
idiom

- With a single, quick action or effort

- A single hasty action or occurrence; if something is done in one fell swoop, it is done on a single occasion

- If you do something at/in one fell swoop, you do it all at the same time

Merriam-Webster, Collins Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

This phrase comes from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” (Act IV, Scene 3). When Macduff learns his wife and children have been murdered, he asks: “What, all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop?” The imagery depicts a bird of prey swooping down to destroy an entire nest at once. Originally, “fell” meant “cruel” or “savage,” but in modern usage, it simply means “sudden” or “swift.”

Although we can't be sure this was the first time this expression was ever used, Shakespeare certainly popularized it. While it's a common phrase, even many native English speakers are likely unaware of the origin.

Apart from being the past tense of "fall," fell was once used as an adjective meaning "vicious, cruel, sinister." As a noun "swoop" refers to a very rapid descent through the air, much like what birds of prey do when hunting. A "fell swoop" could thus be interpreted literally as a merciless assault. By adding "in one" in the sense of all at once, the phrase "in one fell swoop" originally referred to a sudden and vicious attack.

Over time the vicious element disappeared and the expression assumed the neutral sense of doing something all in one go.

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FALCON FACTS

- Falcons have excellent vision and special retinal adaptations (foveae etc.) and can descry prey from over a mile away.

- When diving, falcons can reach around 320 km/h under field conditions. 


- They fold their wings and adjust body posture to reduce drag and improve stability. 


- They have a flow-moderating nasal tubercle that helps reduce pressure fluctuations during fast dives. 


- Research using simulations and physical models confirms that the dive (“stoop”) is not just a passive fall but involves precise control of wing shape, trajectory, and pull-out to catch agile prey.


- Falconry is an ancient practice, over 4,000 years old, with a well-documented tradition across Middle East, Central Asia, and China.

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SYNONYMS

all at once, at one time (a stroke), altogether, en masse, in concert, in a flash (a single action), IN ONE FELL SWOOP, in short order, in one go (move, piece, stroke), simultaneously

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SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

"Investors can lose all their savings IN ONE FELL SWOOP if the stock market crashes."


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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D