on deck

1. Available, ready for action, as in We had ten kids on deck to clean up after the dance . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]

2. In baseball, scheduled to bat next, waiting near home plate to bat, as in Joe was on deck next . [1860s] Both usages allude to crew members being on the deck of a ship, in readiness to perform their duties.

Example Sentences

It’s all hands on deck at “The Verb,” a beacon of hope for many in South Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

The inning ended with Shohei Ohtani waiting on deck.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think that the first step would be to make sure that there are attorneys on deck to actually challenge the legality of these rules,” she said in an interview with The Texas Tribune.

From Salon

“He was about as useful on deck as a left-handed monkey,” Willcox recalled.

From Slate

Given the widespread panic, she said it’s “all hands on deck” for online finance educators.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accessible 
• applicable 
• convenient 
• feasible 
• free 
• handy 
• possible 
• usable 
• vacant