all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing

ˌȯl-ər-ˈnə-thiŋ

1

: all-or-none

2

a

: accepting no less than everything

he's an all-or-nothing perfectionist

b

: risking everything

an all-or-nothing combat strategy

Examples of all-or-nothing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Late last Sunday night, on an all-or-nothing Commanders 2-point conversion try in overtime, Denver outside linebacker Nik Bonitto got free and batted down a Marcus Mariota pass, one of the wildest finishes in a season full of them. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025

Garten’s advice doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. —Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025

Rybakina is one of the purest ballstrikers on the tour, whose all-or-nothing game can veer from erratic to unplayable in the space of a few games. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025

But do the Yankees, who already possess the most home run power of any team in the sport, really need one more all-or-nothing bat in their lineup? —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for all-or-nothing

• nothing

Medical Definition

all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing -ˈnəth-iŋ 

: all-or-none