Synonyms of make-or-breaknext
: allowing no middle ground between success and failure

Examples of make-or-break in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Glenn will also be the defensive play-caller this season, in what some perceive to be a make-or-break year. Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026 Continue reading … POLITICS FUNDING FIGHT — Senate faces make-or-break DHS funding vote as DHS shutdown continues. FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026 The make-or-break moment for CEOs is contributing to an era of rapid turnover among chief executives, Fortune’s Claire Zillman writes. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026 Other organizations might have been a little more reluctant to go into what looked like a make-or-break year with a modest haul of offseason acquisitions headlined by a backup center named Luke Kornet. Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make-or-break

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of make-or-break was in 1919

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Cite this Entry

“Make-or-break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make-or-break. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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