the be-all and end-all
noun phrase
: the most important part of something or the reason for something
He acts as if making money is the be-all and end-all of human existence.
Examples of the be-all and end-all in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Football, Matheson had come to realise, isn’t the be-all and end-all.
—
Stuart James, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Mindfulness takes that preliminary and glorifies it into the be-all and end-all.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Honing communication skills; while prompting isn’t the be-all and end-all, communication is still essential for effective leadership.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Now that Swift is the be-all and end-all of pop, are those days gone?
—Bianca Davino, Refinery29, 7 Oct. 2025
Not that that’s the be-all and end-all.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
After all, the be-all and end-all of this experiment was to see what resonated.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2025
In Nassib's case, though, football wasn't the be-all and end-all.
—Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
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Stuart James, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Mindfulness takes that preliminary and glorifies it into the be-all and end-all.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Honing communication skills; while prompting isn’t the be-all and end-all, communication is still essential for effective leadership.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Now that Swift is the be-all and end-all of pop, are those days gone?
—Bianca Davino, Refinery29, 7 Oct. 2025
Not that that’s the be-all and end-all.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
After all, the be-all and end-all of this experiment was to see what resonated.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2025
In Nassib's case, though, football wasn't the be-all and end-all.
—Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“The be-all and end-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20be-all%20and%20end-all. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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