all-or-nothing
adjective
all-or-noth·ing
ˌȯl-ər-ˈnə-thiŋ
1
2
a
: accepting no less than everything
he's an all-or-nothing perfectionist
b
: risking everything
an all-or-nothing combat strategy
Examples of all-or-nothing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Making better choices should not be an all-or-nothing deal.
—
Markus Lindblad, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
The Jewish community has warned that framing the war between Israel and Hamas as a simplistic, all-or-nothing fight puts Jews at risk here in Colorado.
—Brandon Rattiner, Denver Post, 8 June 2025
There’s the middle-aged coach who’s out of his depth, taking an all-or-nothing shot on an unlikely star.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
Sides took ‘an all-or-nothing position’ Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and ACLU of Connecticut respond to Trump administration executive order banning transgender women and girls from participating in girls and women’s sports.
—Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for all-or-nothing
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.
Markus Lindblad, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
The Jewish community has warned that framing the war between Israel and Hamas as a simplistic, all-or-nothing fight puts Jews at risk here in Colorado.
—Brandon Rattiner, Denver Post, 8 June 2025
There’s the middle-aged coach who’s out of his depth, taking an all-or-nothing shot on an unlikely star.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
Sides took ‘an all-or-nothing position’ Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and ACLU of Connecticut respond to Trump administration executive order banning transgender women and girls from participating in girls and women’s sports.
—Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for all-or-nothing
Cite this Entry
“All-or-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-or-nothing. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
all-or-nothing
adjective
all-or-noth·ing
-ˈnəth-iŋ 
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share