one or the other

idiom

: one of two persons or things but not the other

One or the other of us will have to go.

Examples of one or the other in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some kitchen displays will opt for one or the other—such as a buffet cabinet used only for displaying vintage china, or a shelving unit featuring contemporary dishes and recipe books. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2025

Plus the Towns and Brunson metrics were brutal in the playoffs, as the Pacers took turns attacking one or the other until Thibodeau made a substitution. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025

This black hole was not in the center of one or the other galaxy as a supermassive black hole should be, but rather in the mashup of dust and gasses between them. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 July 2025

There was some brief unsubstantiated hubbub (much like the ephemeral Troy Terry trade rumors) about one or the other signing an offer sheet, until Dostál filed for salary arbitration, as GM Pat Verbeek predicted. —Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 14 July 2025

Rhymes for one or the other

• another
• godmother
• grandmother
• stepbrother
• stepmother
• brother
• mother
• nother
• smother
• souther