BE-ALL AND END-ALLS Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

be-all and end-alls

noun

plural of be-all and end-all

as in causes

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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for be-all and end-alls

Noun

The EuroMOMO mortality monitoring hub, which receives data from two dozen countries, gave an estimate of 14,260 for excess mortality from all causes in the week ending June 28, more than 12,000 of those deaths being among people age 65 and older.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
The restaurant regularly gives back to the Wrightsville Beach and greater Wilmington communities by supporting educational and environmental causes.

— Katie Riley, Southern Living, 17 July 2026

Definition of causes

Noun

Because even if Anthropic wanted to play that role, being both the provider of a hackable service and the blocking of cyberterrorists, the insurance companies, the determinants of who gets coverage, would never allow it.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 5 July 2026
Ultimately, Earth's tilt, day length, and sun angle are the primary determinants of seasons, far outweighing orbital distance.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of determinants

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

be-all and end-all

be-all and end-alls

beam

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Be-all and end-alls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be-all%20and%20end-alls. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of be-all and end-alls

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

itinerant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes