LIFE-AND-DEATH Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

life-and-death

adjective

variants also life-or-death

Definition of life-and-death

as in crucial

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of life-and-death Digital advances also raise pressing questions about the ethics of outsourcing life-and-death decisions to machines. — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026 The life-and-death rescue played out on a narrow suspension cable above shocked motorists, pedestrians and the gleaming water below the bridge. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 For our hunter-gatherer ancestors, getting enough of these critical nutrients was a daily life-and-death struggle. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 The life-and-death stakes were raised when the former high school series jumped five years to show a now-young adult Rue becoming a drug mule and working for rival kingpins (Martha Kelly’s Laurie also took her own life in the finale). — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for life-and-death

Recent Examples of Synonyms for life-and-death

Adjective

And the tariffs are a terrible idea in any event, amounting to a consumer tax and interrupting crucial trade.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Still, the current team does have a rare shot at shaping an orchestra that is not only reliably exciting and frequently profound but also casually bold and genuinely fun — making for a crucial presence in the city as well as at Geffen Hall.

— Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of crucial

Adjective

But both countries are vying for a decisive advantage on AI, with Trump warning that any efforts to regulate the technology would help China.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
These artists are working in very different places and from very different positions, but their images all seem to understand that a ‘decisive moment’ can happen under pressure.

— PhotoVogue, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of decisive

Adjective

Other research points to fundamental flaws of SAT and ACT testing, including that students from higher-income families tend to have higher SAT scores.

— Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
The drilling partnership therefore addresses a fundamental part of the deployment model.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of fundamental

Adjective

America is at a critical crossroads for the type of future in store beyond issues of affordability, groceries and gas prices due to global conflicts.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Numerous books written by women who fled the FLDS community provide autobiographical and critical accounts of the group.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of critical

Adjective

Authorities said key fugitives in the case include Dimitri Hérard, ex-head of security at Haiti's National Palace, who escaped two years ago after a powerful gang federation stormed Haiti's two biggest prisons.

— EVENS SANON, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Having evolved into a struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict is now threatening another key oil-shipping route.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of key

Adjective

That’s one of the basic rules outlined in the New York Times Crossword submission guidelines and a convention followed by just about every major crossword outlet.

— New York Times, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Residents are dealing with rising costs while still asking for basic improvements to roads, lighting, flooding and traffic safety.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of basic

Adjective

The settlement resolved a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children's mental health.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
The order of several pivotal scenes in Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis was switched up for the film adaptation of the bestselling romance novel, which is directed by Claire Scanlon and stars Tom Bateman and Lili Reinhart.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of pivotal

Browse Nearby Words

life

life-and-death

lifeblood

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life-and-death. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of life-and-death

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

pundit

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes