At a glance means with one quick look, immediately: I could tell at a glance the keys were different. It's praise for clear tables, diagrams and signs: the dashboard shows the bookings at a glance. In headings, The week at a glance means a one-page summary of the main points.
Want to use at a glance in conversation?
Write a sentence — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
see / tell / recognize something at a glance
- The colour labels show you at a glance which boxes are fragile.
- I could tell at a glance that the two keys were different.
- The dashboard lets managers see the week's bookings at a glance.
What changed
First versionThe labels show at glance which boxes are fragile.
RevisionThe labels show at a glance which boxes are fragile.
A quick look feels like an action rather than a thing, so the article is easy to skip. But the phrase always has a: at a glance. With the article back, the phrase is correct.
At first glance means on first impression, and a but usually follows: at first glance it looked easy, but... At a glance means clear right away, with no catch: you can see the totals at a glance. One word, first, turns clarity into a misleading impression.
Your turn
You understand immediately after a brief look: You can see the totals at ___ glance.
Show the answer
a — The phrase needs a: at a glance. The glance would point to one particular look, and there's no such phrase.
Describe a table, sign or map that makes something clear right away. Use at a glance.
The large numbers let passengers see the departure times at a glance.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.