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
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.
As time starts running out, emotions intensify, resulting in a love triangle with life-and-death stakes. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 Look how Miami looked at home: Three turnovers, 206 rushing yards allowed and 34 points surrendered in a life-and-death battle against 2-2 Virginia Tech, whose two wins came against Marshall and Old Dominion (Its two losses were against Rutgers and Vanderbilt). Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 28 Sep. 2024 Drug discovery — that, of course, is very important, with life-and-death consequences. Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2024 The townspeople’s friendships, romances, and enmities are tangible ways to understand what’s going on here, and their complex bonds help amplify the show’s life-and-death stakes. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for life-and-death 

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of life-and-death was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near 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 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

life-and-death

adjective
: ending in life or death : deciding which will survive
a life-and-death struggle

More from Merriam-Webster on life-and-death

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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