: allowing no middle ground between success and failure

Examples of make-or-break in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Golden Globes returned to NBC for the 2023 broadcast in a one-year deal — a make-or-break moment after the HFPA sold the award show to Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries, dissolving the nonprofit and its membership, earlier in the year. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2023 This means your business will be in make-or-break mode from day one. Harry Kabadaian, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Expectant parents Brandan and Mary weren't the only ones fighting on Monday's '90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way' as Daniele leveraged Spanish to punish Yohan for refusing to pay for things Several 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way couples hit make-or-break moments on Monday night's episode. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 10 Oct. 2023 Several people interviewed for this story described the yield as make-or-break. WIRED, 26 Sep. 2023 The roughly dozen Republicans who have voiced displeasure at McCarthy's proposal see the current impasse as a make-or-break moment to hold the speaker to commitments to drastically cut topline government spending. CBS News, 19 Sep. 2023 The roughly dozen Republicans who have voiced displeasure at McCarthy’s proposal see the current impasse as a make-or-break moment to hold the speaker to commitments to drastically cut topline government spending. Lisa Mascaro and Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 On the cusp of buying her third-generation Impreza, this is a make-or-break generation for my wife. cleveland, 16 Sep. 2023 Justin Fields, taken No. 11 by the Chicago Bears, is entering a make-or-break season a la Jones. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make-or-break.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near make-or-break

Cite this Entry

“Make-or-break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make-or-break. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

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