It turns out that, for once, Brent may have been onto something.

[Kolridg]

The tiny breaks that ease your body and reboot your brain
Please, take a look at this quote from the second paragraph of the piece.

It turns out that, for once, Brent may have been onto something. He was inadvertently describing what experts call a “microbreak” – any brief activity that helps to break up the monotony of physically or mentally draining tasks.

Could you please tell how you understand "for once" there, like "this time" or "one time", and why? I ask because dictionary shows both, but as for me, they are different, though, of course, they have in common that they both implies that thing happened only one time.

 

[JamesM]

To me it means "this time (for the first time)", as opposed to his past history in this area.

 

[Kolridg]

Thank you.

 

[kentix]

Yes, it means that in the speaker's opinion Brent never gets anything right. He's always wrong. Finally, for the first (and, so far, only time) he may be right, which is a surprise to the speaker.

But the rest of the paragraph implies he's only right by chance and not because he knows what he's doing.

and, so far, only time - it's unknown at this time if he'll ever be right again but you can guess that the speaker thinks it's unlikely

 

[lingobingo]

for once = for a change