or else
idiom
1
—used to say what will happen if something is not done
You have to leave or else you will be arrested for trespassing.
2
—used to say what another possibility is
He either thinks he can't do it or else he just isn't interested.
3
informal
—used in angry speech to express a threat without saying exactly what the threat is
Do what I say or else!
Examples of or else in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a result, the Boston Red Sox need to make a huge move in the right direction or else the Blue Jays are going to leave them behind in the AL East.
—
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Other contestants then walked out in protest, and Itsaragrisil threatened the contestants to sit down, or else their positions in the pageant would be in jeopardy.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025
At her home day care, Rodriguez employs a group of teachers and caretakers who are, for the most part, either in their twenties and childless or else parents with at least one child enrolled in the day care.
—Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for or else
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.
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Other contestants then walked out in protest, and Itsaragrisil threatened the contestants to sit down, or else their positions in the pageant would be in jeopardy.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Nov. 2025
At her home day care, Rodriguez employs a group of teachers and caretakers who are, for the most part, either in their twenties and childless or else parents with at least one child enrolled in the day care.
—Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for or else
Cite this Entry
“Or else.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/or%20else. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share