life-and-death
adjective
variants
or less commonly life-or-death
: involving or culminating in life or death : vitally important as if involving life or death
Examples of life-and-death in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hamm will play Fred Heckman, a beloved radio reporter who finds himself in the middle of a life-and-death situation when a man named Tony Kiritsis takes a hostage and then demands airtime on Heckman’s show.
—
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2025
Its real subject, however, is how people respond when they’re faced with life-and-death choices in desperate situations—something even more relevant two decades later.
—Heather Hansman, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2025
And in this case, the scope of the season’s main subject, and the life-and-death nature of it, makes Nathan’s personality feel more beside the point than usual.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2025
When taking on a controversy with life-and-death implications, recognizing this hierarchy of evidence is essential—as is the need for ensuring factual accuracy.
—Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
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.
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2025
Its real subject, however, is how people respond when they’re faced with life-and-death choices in desperate situations—something even more relevant two decades later.
—Heather Hansman, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2025
And in this case, the scope of the season’s main subject, and the life-and-death nature of it, makes Nathan’s personality feel more beside the point than usual.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2025
When taking on a controversy with life-and-death implications, recognizing this hierarchy of evidence is essential—as is the need for ensuring factual accuracy.
—Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
Cite this Entry
“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-and-death. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share