as in cause
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.
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Recent Examples of be-all and end-all
Although a loss to the Bills would drop those chances to 25 percent, the outcome of Thursday’s game is not the be-all and end-all.
—
Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Nov. 2022
Deficit reduction was the be-all and end-all of fiscal policy.
—Martin Sullivan, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022
Growth is the be-all and end-all of mainstream economic and political thinking.
—David Marchesephoto Illustration By Bráulio Amado, New York Times, 17 July 2022
But companies should be wary of treating cyber insurance as the be-all and end-all of protection against attacks, Evans warns.
—Rishi Iyengar, CNN, 23 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for be-all and end-all
Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Nov. 2022
Deficit reduction was the be-all and end-all of fiscal policy.
—Martin Sullivan, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022
Growth is the be-all and end-all of mainstream economic and political thinking.
—David Marchesephoto Illustration By Bráulio Amado, New York Times, 17 July 2022
But companies should be wary of treating cyber insurance as the be-all and end-all of protection against attacks, Evans warns.
—Rishi Iyengar, CNN, 23 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for be-all and end-all
Recent Examples of Synonyms for be-all and end-all
Noun
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The preliminary investigation did not find any obvious signs of trauma on Strother and his cause of death is pending, according to the BCA.—
Mars King,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
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The officers determined that the woman’s death did not appear to be from natural causes.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While voting in national and local elections has already been recognized as a social determinant of health—with voters generally thought to have better health profiles than non-voters—the link between electoral participation and death has not been established.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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In The Bell Curve, Murray and Herrnstein argue that intelligence, as measured by an IQ score, is a crucial determinant of success in modern society.—
Eric Turkheimer,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Be-all and end-all.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be-all%20and%20end-all. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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