or else

phrase

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

Reason had to triumph in all things, or else waves of unreason, of which the Muckers were a model, would insinuate themselves into daily life. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Better make sure those interview questions are properly researched and up to snuff — or else there could be some real zingers flying in from the interviewee. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026

Senators could decide by the close of business on Friday whether to schedule a vote as early as next Tuesday, or else risk delaying Blanche’s nomination till after the August recess. — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2026

The pressure to make precisely the right choice — or else — is what’s gotten society’s bedsheets in a twist. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026