variants
also life-or-death
as in crucial
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Recent Examples of life-and-death
The drumline loops and VST strings would be over-the-top if the performance weren’t so impassioned, the stakes not literally life-and-death.
—
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
Certainly not the life-and-death stakes.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
The stakes of slow action on pedestrian and cyclist safety are life-and-death.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The life-and-death situation motivated Phillips to take to social media for help, with the encouragement of her famous friends and family, like sister Mackenzie Phillips and long term friends Nicky and Paris Hilton.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
Certainly not the life-and-death stakes.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
The stakes of slow action on pedestrian and cyclist safety are life-and-death.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The life-and-death situation motivated Phillips to take to social media for help, with the encouragement of her famous friends and family, like sister Mackenzie Phillips and long term friends Nicky and Paris Hilton.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life-and-death
Adjective
-
Attenborough matters because, for generations of TV viewers, in scores of countries, he has been regarded as the person who best understands one crucial purpose of the medium—who has made the most fruitful use of what television, uniquely, can be for.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Arsenal are firmly in title-chasing mode and goal difference could still prove crucial, despite Manchester City slipping up against Everton on Monday.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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These results were championed as the country’s official victory over the virus and a decisive win for those advocating for digital vaccination credential systems.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
After scoring a decisive goal in Buffalo’s series-clinching win against Boston in Game 6, Benson was all over the ice in the first period against Montreal.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The fundamental constants that determine the masses, charges, and interaction strengths between particles are universal as well.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
-
And so there's a fundamental lack of opportunity to learn the soft skills that a white collar employee needs.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Three residents died at the scene, while five more were hospitalized with critical injuries, FDNY officials said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
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As Mercury squares Pluto, feedback or a conversation may feel more intense or critical than expected.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Supreme Court on May 4 allowed its recent ruling limiting a key part of the Voting Rights Act to take effect early, boosting the chances that Republicans can impose a new congressional map in Louisiana before the November election.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
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In Arizona, the state’s attorney general is appealing a ruling requiring the criminal case to be returned to a grand jury because prosecutors did not present key legal text.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Then again, the novel, a worldly form and rather proud of it, has good reason not to question the basic terms of our existence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Instead of bigger SUVs or higher trims — versions of a model with more features and elevated prices — many shoppers are sticking with simpler options like compact sedans, entry-level pickups or the most basic version on the dealer's lot.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
But what makes this offseason a pivotal moment for them is the additional tax rate known as the repeater tax — a more severe financial penalty based on five-year windows, incentivizing owners not to spend excessively over the salary cap for prolonged periods.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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Furthermore, Sharpe spent six months learning how to tinkle the ivories, an impressive commitment which pays off during the pivotal piano battles and ensures a welcome absence of clumsy cutaways from fingers to face.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life-and-death. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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