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
-
The information provided is crucial in identifying whether the state meets federal requirements for various forms of disaster assistance.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Jackie Vece, head of the residents’ association and chief organizer of their campaign, said capping rent increases is crucial.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Zehavi doubted the proliferation of FPV drones would have a truly decisive impact on the war overall, comparing it to previous technological improvements Hezbollah has adopted.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Only four have even pushed it to the decisive Game 7.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the king said despite the fundamental disagreement between the countries, the United States inherited its democratic values from the United Kingdom.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
There are fundamental limits, such as the Planck scale (sometimes called the pixel size of the universe), beyond which the very idea of distance loses meaning.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 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
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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
-
The seven tracks on their first LP together are largely instrumental and instinctive, building a pivotal series of Miami recording sessions into a fresco of outsider rock, ambient, and avant-garde arrangement.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
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McDonald didn’t bother hiding his happiness as KU’s defense stopped a pivotal fourth down late in the second quarter.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life-and-death. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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