as in crucial
resulting in either definite success or definite failure
a make-or-break decision The next year will be a make-or-break time for the company.
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Recent Examples of make-or-break
Cornyn and Paxton are expected to head to a May runoff, but Crockett and Talarico are the only major candidates in the Democratic primary, making March 3 the likely make-or-break point.
—
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Limerence, on the other hand, turns even minor interactions (or the lack of them) into make-or-break moments, Depanian says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 6 Feb. 2026
That could be a make-or-break stretch for the Sharks, with three games against non-playoff-contending teams that could be especially important for keeping the roster together.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
But with the college football season firmly in the rearview mirror, let’s set aside football briefly to zoom in this week on USC’s basketball programs, both of which are facing a make-or-break stretch of their schedules.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for make-or-break
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Limerence, on the other hand, turns even minor interactions (or the lack of them) into make-or-break moments, Depanian says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 6 Feb. 2026
That could be a make-or-break stretch for the Sharks, with three games against non-playoff-contending teams that could be especially important for keeping the roster together.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
But with the college football season firmly in the rearview mirror, let’s set aside football briefly to zoom in this week on USC’s basketball programs, both of which are facing a make-or-break stretch of their schedules.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for make-or-break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-or-break
Adjective
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Chip companies like Broadcom have faced a number of headwinds in recent months, including a shortage of the high bandwidth memory crucial for custom accelerators, and capacity constraints at the most advanced levels of chip manufacturing and packaging.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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For a floral display to thrive, gentle rain that soaks directly into the soil is crucial.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
9 Mar. 2026
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His research reveals that airlines cut costs in critical areas to prop up the dirt-cheap prices.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But for now, in what many fans have called the most pivotal trade deadline in decades, management has a lot of work to do.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The sculpture depicts Krishna, the protector, raising a mountain with his left arm to shield cowherds from the wrathful storm unleashed by Indra—a pivotal motif in Khmer art.—
Li Qi,
Artforum,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Make-or-break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-or-break. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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