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
Such elements will likely prove confusing for those who don’t have a Ph.D. in Marvel studies, or else just stopped paying close attention when the MCU train jumped the rails — around the time Phase Three wrapped in 2019.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
Every new residential building in Switzerland must either include an on-site bunker, or else developers are required to earmark funds for a nearby public one maintained by the state.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, The Dial, 24 Apr. 2025
Attempting to maintain a tough veneer, Trump warned that China must act quickly to make a deal to end the trade war or else risk making concessions that China may not consider ideal.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
In 2025, anticipate a more surgical integration of AI with real-world systems, sparking innovation built on the increasingly sophisticated replication of agentic workloads, or else technology circumventing the need for AI altogether.
—Ruth Foxe Blader, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
Every new residential building in Switzerland must either include an on-site bunker, or else developers are required to earmark funds for a nearby public one maintained by the state.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, The Dial, 24 Apr. 2025
Attempting to maintain a tough veneer, Trump warned that China must act quickly to make a deal to end the trade war or else risk making concessions that China may not consider ideal.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
In 2025, anticipate a more surgical integration of AI with real-world systems, sparking innovation built on the increasingly sophisticated replication of agentic workloads, or else technology circumventing the need for AI altogether.
—Ruth Foxe Blader, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 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 21 May. 2025.
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