: 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.
Meghan Markle's make-or-break Netflix cooking show has slumped to a 33 percent average critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025 During a make-or-break moment when contestants need at least one chair turn to move forward in the competition, Battle blew away all four coaches who were eager to work with him. Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2025 Nvidia, in yet another supposedly make-or-break quarter, delivered stronger-than-expected results and outlook, even if the magnitude of the guidance beat was not as large as investors have grown accustomed to. Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2025 Rarely has a single company's earnings report been so closely watched by Wall Street as a make-or-break moment for the broader market. Rob Wile, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2025 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 10 Mar. 2025.

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