the be-all and end-all

noun phrase

: 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.

Examples of the be-all and end-all in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Okay, but TikTok is not the be-all and end-all of scientific information. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 15 Dec. 2023

Every oven is different, with some running hotter than others, and while the times listed in recipes are what the recipe developer experienced and offered as a guide for you at home, audio and visual cues should be the be-all and end-all for deciding when a dish is ready to come out of the oven. —Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023

The menu at Ruby Tuesday didn’t necessarily seem like the be-all and end-all, but their systems for doing business were impressive. —Lawrence Specker | [e-mail], al, 7 Sep. 2023

How to do the strawberry milk nails trend For semitransparent manicures, preparation is the be-all and end-all. —Melanie Paukner, Glamour, 31 Aug. 2023

With that chance of a rematch in the regional finals more likely for 11-6A teams than others, the regular-season matchup isn’t the be-all and end-all for the teams that finish third and fourth in the district. —Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas News, 17 Aug. 2023

But dynamic sophistication isn't the be-all and end-all of cars in this segment. —Barry Winfield, Car and Driver, 16 Aug. 2023

So recent is this trend that some Spaniards still defer to the longer-aged designations as the be-all and end-all of the oenological spectrum, even when the cosechas on the menu are comparably priced. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2023

Bellingham is not the be-all and end-all for Real, yet welcoming the teenage star in a pricey deal already re-establishes its dominant status on the transfer scene, with the market in Spain opening officially in July. —Henry Flynn, Forbes, 4 May 2023