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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for be-all and end-all
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
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
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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Still, the lack of a clear succession plan is a cause of great anxiety in a country where the monarch has long served as a bastion of stability.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
26 June 2025
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The cause of the Bootid meteor shower is dust and debris left in the inner solar system by comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, a near-Earth short-period comet that orbits the sun every six years.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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The strongest determinant of support, according to Wheeler’s survey work, was that the National Park Service makes all that clear.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
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Yet service levels are one of the primary determinants of ridership.—
Matthew Yglesias,
Twin Cities,
14 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 1 Jul. 2025.
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