You’re staring at a blinking cursor, trying to describe two things happening at the exact same moment, and "simultaneously" feels like a mouthful of dry crackers. It’s a fine word. It’s accurate. But let’s be honest: it’s also a bit "SAT prep" for most casual conversations or even professional emails. If you use it three times in one paragraph, you start to sound like a technical manual from 1994.
Finding another word for simultaneously isn’t just about hitting a synonym button; it’s about capturing the right vibe. Language is weirdly specific. Sometimes you need the punchiness of "at once," and other times you need the rhythmic flow of "concurrently." Using the wrong one makes your prose feel stiff.
Most people reach for a thesaurus because they want variety. But variety for its own sake is a trap. You want clarity. You want the reader to feel the overlap of events without tripping over a five-syllable speed bump.
The Bread and Butter: Common Alternatives
Let's look at "at the same time." It’s the workhorse of the English language. It’s invisible. Readers glide right over it, which is actually a good thing. If you’re writing a story and two characters shout at each other, "They yelled at the same time" feels more natural than "They yelled simultaneously."
"All at once" carries a different weight. It implies a bit of chaos or a sudden burst. Imagine a birthday party where the balloons pop, the cake falls, and the dog starts barking. That’s happening "all at once." It’s a sensory overload.
Then there’s "together." People forget this one. It’s short. It’s simple. If two processes are running on your computer, they are running together. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done without any ego.
When You Need to Sound Like an Expert
In the world of business or tech, "concurrently" is the heavy hitter. It’s more formal. If you’re looking at a project timeline, you might say tasks A and B are running concurrently. It suggests a planned, structured overlap. It’s not an accident; it’s a strategy.
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"Synchronously" is its tech-heavy cousin. You’ve probably heard this a lot if you’ve been on Zoom calls lately. In computer science and digital communication, synchronous means things are happening in real-time coordination. It’s the opposite of "asynchronous," where you leave a message and someone gets back to you later.
Why Context Changes Everything
You wouldn't tell a friend, "We should eat and talk concurrently." That sounds like you're a robot trying to pass as human. You’d say "at once" or "at the same time."
But if you’re writing a legal brief or a scientific paper, "at once" might feel too flippant. This is where "coincidentally" or "coincident" comes in, though you have to be careful. In everyday speech, we use "coincidentally" to mean a weird fluke—like seeing your third-grade teacher at a bar in Prague. In a technical sense, it literally just means two things occupying the same time or space.
The "Meanwhile" Trap
A lot of writers swap in "meanwhile" when they want another word for simultaneously, but "meanwhile" actually suggests a split in focus. It tells the reader, "While this was happening over here, something else was happening over there." It’s parallel, but usually in different locations.
If you want to emphasize that the events are intertwined, "in tandem" is a better bet. It evokes the image of a two-person bicycle. Both people are pedaling, working toward the same goal, at the exact same moment.
Exploring Nuanced Variations
If you’re aiming for something more poetic or literary, "midst" or "in the breath of" can work, though they’re risky. "In unison" is perfect for sound or movement. A choir sings in unison. A row of dancers moves in unison. It’s about harmony and identical timing.
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What about "simultaneous" in the context of history? Historians often use "contemporaneous." It sounds fancy because it is. It describes people or events that existed during the same period. Shakespeare and Cervantes were contemporaneous writers. They didn't necessarily do things at the exact same second, but their lives overlapped in the grand scheme of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Quick Swaps for Better Flow
- Instead of "simultaneously," try "at once" for immediate action.
- Try "concurrently" for project management or scheduled tasks.
- Use "in parallel" when describing systems or workflows that don't touch but happen at once.
- Go with "at the same time" for almost everything else. Honestly. It's the safest bet.
The Problem with Overusing Fancy Synonyms
There is a phenomenon in linguistics called "the saurian's thumb," or more commonly, "thesaurus syndrome." It’s when a writer replaces a simple word with a complex one to seem smarter, but they end up losing the nuance.
If you use "coetaneously" (yes, that’s a real word), your reader is going to stop reading your article and go look that up. You’ve lost them. You’ve broken the spell.
Stick to words that fit the rhythm of your sentence. Sometimes, you need a long, flowing word to slow the reader down. Sometimes you need a sharp, one-syllable word to keep the pace up.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Draft
Don't just search for another word for simultaneously and pick the longest one. That’s a rookie mistake. Instead, try these specific tactics to clean up your writing:
1. Read it out loud.
If you stumble over the word, it's too long. Your tongue is a great editor. If "simultaneously" feels like a speed bump in your mouth, swap it for "at the same time."
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2. Check the "Why."
Are the two things happening at once because of a fluke? Use "coincidentally." Are they happening because they are linked? Use "in tandem" or "coupled with."
3. Delete it entirely.
Often, you don't even need the word.
Original: "He listened to the radio while simultaneously cooking dinner."
Revision: "He listened to the radio while cooking dinner."
The word "while" already does the heavy lifting. You're just adding clutter.
4. Use "Parallel."
In business settings, "parallel" is a great substitute. "We are running these two marketing campaigns in parallel." It sounds professional, clear, and implies a specific structure.
5. Consider "As one."
If you want to describe a group acting with a single soul or purpose, "as one" is incredibly powerful. "The crowd rose as one." It’s much more evocative than "The crowd rose simultaneously."
The goal of good writing isn't to show off your vocabulary. It's to transfer an idea from your brain to someone else's with as little friction as possible. "Simultaneously" is a high-friction word. Use it sparingly. Use it when you need to be clinical or precise. For everything else, lean into the simpler, more human alternatives that keep the story moving.
Keep a list of these alternatives near your desk. Use "at once" when things get hectic. Use "concurrently" when you're being the boss. Use "together" when it’s personal. Your readers will thank you for not making them work so hard to understand a simple concept of time.