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

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, 30 Dec. 2025

Choose the Right Solution What’s inside the sandwich is the most important part so choose your cleaning solution wisely or else you might be left with streaky floors, still dirty walls, or sloppy-looking windows. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025

Sight becomes a barrier in Bird Box, a postapocalyptic thriller where the enemy must go unseen, or else. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025

That said, others believe that Christmas trees must be taken down before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, or else you’ll be stuck carrying your baggage from last year into the new one. —Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Dec. 2025