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
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
The days of the domestic American business being the be-all and end-all are long gone.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 21 June 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
Love is framed as the be-all and end-all of human existence in books, films, TV shows and songs.
—Serena Smith, refinery29.com, 14 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for be-all and end-all
David Marchesephoto Illustration By Bráulio Amado, New York Times, 17 July 2022
The days of the domestic American business being the be-all and end-all are long gone.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes, 21 June 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
Love is framed as the be-all and end-all of human existence in books, films, TV shows and songs.
—Serena Smith, refinery29.com, 14 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for be-all and end-all
Recent Examples of Synonyms for be-all and end-all
Noun
-
The Oceanside Police Department is actively investigating the cause of the crash, per the Oceanside Fire Department.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
9 May 2025
-
Take a night run or rock on to support good causes, go to a block party, have a scary good time, listen to heroic tunes or shop local at a farmers market.—
John Coffren,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
The third thing is the social determinants of health.—
Kaiser Health News,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2025
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In 2019, in collaboration with Harvard University’s School of Public Health and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Humanity 2.0 Lab published a seminal white paper outlining the social determinants of maternal and child health.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
12 May 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 22 May. 2025.
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