variants
also life-or-death
as in crucial
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Recent Examples of life-and-death
The drumline loops and VST strings would be over-the-top if the performance weren’t so impassioned, the stakes not literally life-and-death.
—
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
Certainly not the life-and-death stakes.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
The stakes of slow action on pedestrian and cyclist safety are life-and-death.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The life-and-death situation motivated Phillips to take to social media for help, with the encouragement of her famous friends and family, like sister Mackenzie Phillips and long term friends Nicky and Paris Hilton.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
Certainly not the life-and-death stakes.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
The stakes of slow action on pedestrian and cyclist safety are life-and-death.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
The life-and-death situation motivated Phillips to take to social media for help, with the encouragement of her famous friends and family, like sister Mackenzie Phillips and long term friends Nicky and Paris Hilton.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life-and-death
Adjective
-
That assessment didn’t mention Taiwan directly, but, in relation to Iran, said both sides had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil and natural gas, must remain open.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
The subpoenas were crucial in getting the names of children and their families so the Justice Department could interview them.—
Kimberlee Kruesi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
During my lifetime there have been 55 years in which my country has engaged in prolonged and endless conflicts or wars, few of which have brought a decisive victory.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
What initially looked like a decisive campaign by the US and Israel has evolved into a stagnant and prolonged conflict, with the threat of further escalation hanging over the region.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
For customers and investors this might mean a lot more opportunities to build generation-defining companies without facing fundamental limits to scaling.—
Martin Casado,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
-
Actions have consequences; breaking laws deserves punishment, and undermining elections is a fundamental threat to a democratic society.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Unity was critical to these aims.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
His comments come on the back of recent warnings by the International Energy Agency that the global oil market could face a critical supply squeeze during the peak summer consumption period, especially if Middle Eastern exports fail to recover and inventories continue falling.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
The style is classic, clean, lightweight, and surprisingly versatile—key for transitional spring weather.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
25 May 2026
-
In a Western Conference Final where a few other key Colorado Avalanche players are already playing through injuries, the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season was felled trying to prevent someone else from scoring.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
Likewise, not all students arrive at their university with their basic needs fully met.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
The international evidence, the domestic evidence, the academic literature, and basic arithmetic do not support it.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
But Oklahoma City’s bench played a pivotal role in the comeback that ultimately gave the Thunder a critical series lead.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
-
Saleh shook off his 0-for-3 day leading up to the pivotal at-bat and was ready to pounce.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life-and-death. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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