all one's eggs in one basket

noun

The state of having invested heavily in just one area.

“At his age, he won't get another shot; he really has all his eggs in this one basket.”

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Meanings

nounall one's eggs in one basket pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyThe state of having invested heavily in just one area.

    The stock market decline wouldn’t have hurt him so badly if he hadn’t had all his eggs in one basket.

  2. pluralplural onlyThe state of having devoted all of one’s resources to one thing.

    At his age, he won't get another shot; he really has all his eggs in this one basket.

    1 more example

    We have 72% of our income from fares. That can work in good times. But COVID has exposed that we had all our eggs in one basket, dangerously over-reliant on one source of funding that is subject to the whims of the economy... or viruses.

    2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in Rail, page 50

Origin

From put all one's eggs in one basket.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish alt på ét kort, alt på ét bræt
  • alt på ét kortthe state of having invested in one area only
  • alt på ét brætthe state of having invested in one area only
Finnish kaikki munat samaan koriin
  • kaikki munat samaan koriinthe state of having invested in one area only
Swedish alla ägg i samma korg, allt på ett kort
  • alla ägg i samma korgthe state of having invested in one area only
  • allt på ett kortthe state of having invested in one area only
Cite this entry
APA

all one's eggs in one basket. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20one's%20eggs%20in%20one%20basket

MLA

“all one's eggs in one basket.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20one's%20eggs%20in%20one%20basket. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “all one's eggs in one basket,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20one's%20eggs%20in%20one%20basket.

Source: all one's eggs in one basket on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.