or bust
idiom
informal
—used to say that one will do everything possible to get somewhere
The sign on the car said "New Orleans or bust!"
Examples of or bust in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tips For Making Crab Cakes In terms of the mayo, Duke’s or bust, the Soby’s team says.
—
Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
An activist in Minneapolis indicated that the Department of Homeland Security does not pay for damages when agents break car windows or bust down doors.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2026
The franchise is now in Super Bo or bust mode.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
The Eagles' offensive coordinator position in the Sirianni-Hurts era has been the ultimate boom or bust job.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Allen’s performance was boom or bust, as every Buffalo drive ended in either a score or a turnover.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
And after dedicating much of the past 20 years to speedskating — after moving to Salt Lake City to train six years ago and after deciding that these Milan Cortina Winter Olympics would be his last, gold or bust — Lehman wanted to earn it.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
The oil business is admittedly Dickensian - a tale of two cities, boom or bust, but global energy demands continue to increase, and not all of that demand can be satisfied with renewables.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Failliet is a slang Dutch term that translates as ‘bankrupt’ so the name loosely means ‘finesse or bust’.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
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Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
An activist in Minneapolis indicated that the Department of Homeland Security does not pay for damages when agents break car windows or bust down doors.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2026
The franchise is now in Super Bo or bust mode.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
The Eagles' offensive coordinator position in the Sirianni-Hurts era has been the ultimate boom or bust job.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Allen’s performance was boom or bust, as every Buffalo drive ended in either a score or a turnover.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
And after dedicating much of the past 20 years to speedskating — after moving to Salt Lake City to train six years ago and after deciding that these Milan Cortina Winter Olympics would be his last, gold or bust — Lehman wanted to earn it.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
The oil business is admittedly Dickensian - a tale of two cities, boom or bust, but global energy demands continue to increase, and not all of that demand can be satisfied with renewables.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Failliet is a slang Dutch term that translates as ‘bankrupt’ so the name loosely means ‘finesse or bust’.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Or bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/or%20bust. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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