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: allowing no middle ground between success and failure

Examples of make-or-break in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman return for the sequel as detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, who this time around are sent on a make-or-break mission chasing after mysterious pit viper Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan) as his arrival disrupts the balance of the metropolis. Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025 How to Watch France vs Ukraine France is facing a make-or-break showdown at home to Ukraine on Thursday, where a home win would send Kylian Mbappe & Co through to the 2026 World Cup. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2025 This feels like a make-or-break spot for Green Bay. Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025 Take a look at what to expect from a potentially make-or-break week for third-quarter results. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for make-or-break

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of make-or-break was in 1919

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make-or-break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make-or-break. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

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