one after another

adverb

In single file.

“Once discipline broke down, problems came one after another.”

Similar
one by oneone at a timeone after the other
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adverbone after another (not comparable)

alternative one after the other

  1. idiomaticnot comparableIn single file.

    Synonyms: one by one

  2. idiomaticnot comparableIndividually, in a particular sequence or chronology.

    Synonyms: one at a time

  3. idiomaticnot comparableUnrelentingly.

    Once discipline broke down, problems came one after another.

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn single file.

Similar
one by one

adverbIndividually, in a particular sequence or chronology.

Similar
one at a time

More synonyms by meaning

adverbfollowing one another in quick succession

Similar
one after the other
Also see
sequentiallysuccessively

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Dates back at least to Old English ān æfter ōþrum, of the same meaning.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἑξῆς, ἄλλος δι’ ἄλλου
  • ἑξῆς (hexês)in single file
  • ἄλλος δι’ ἄλλου (állos di’ állou)in single file
Arbic وَاحِدًا تِلْوَ الآخَرِ
  • وَاحِدًا تِلْوَ الآخَرِ (wāḥidan tilwa al-ʔāḵari)in single file
Chinese Mandarin 紛紛 /纷纷, 先後 /先后
  • 紛紛 /纷纷 (fēnfēn)in single file
  • 先後 /先后 (xiānhòu)in single file
Dutch de een na de ander
  • de een na de anderin single file
Esperanto unu post la alia
  • unu post la aliain single file
Finnish yksi toisensa jälkeen
  • yksi toisensa jälkeenin single file
French l'un après l'autre
  • l'un après l'autrein single file
German nacheinander
  • nacheinanderin single file
Greek αράδα
  • αράδα (aráda)in single file
Hebrew בַּזֶּה אֲחַר זֶה
  • בַּזֶּה אֲחַר זֶה (bazé akhár zé)in single file
Hungarian egyik a másik után, egymás után
  • egyik a másik utánin single file
  • egymás utánin single file
  • sorbanin single file
  • sorjábanin single file
Irish as a chéile
  • as a chéilein single file
Italian uno dopo l'altro
  • uno dopo l'altroin single file
Japanese 相次いで, 続々
  • 相次いで (aitsuide)in single file
  • 続々 (zokuzoku)in single file
  • 次々 (tsugitsugi)in single file
Latin deinceps
  • deincepsin single file
Polish jeden po drugim, jeden za drugim
  • jeden po drugimin single file
  • jeden za drugimin single file
Russian оди́н за други́м
  • оди́н за други́м (odín za drugím)in single file
Spanish uno detrás de otro, uno después del otro
  • uno detrás de otroin single file
  • uno después del otroin single file
  • una detrás de otrain single file
  • uno tras otroin single file
Cite this entry
APA

one after another. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20after%20another

MLA

“one after another.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20after%20another. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “one after another,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20after%20another.

Source: one after another on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.