or else
idiom
1
—used to say what will happen if something is not done
You have to leave or else you will be arrested for trespassing.
2
—used to say what another possibility is
He either thinks he can't do it or else he just isn't interested.
3
informal
—used in angry speech to express a threat without saying exactly what the threat is
Do what I say or else!
Examples of or else in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When Trump entered the fray, demanding out of nowhere that the national debt ceiling be raised or else otherwise no deal, the deal collapsed.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
Lawmakers have until the end of the day Friday to reach a deal to fund the government, or else there will be a shutdown.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
The department must figure out how to adopt and integrate disruptive technologies as soon as possible, or else the military will find itself on the receiving end of smarter, cheaper, more autonomous unmanned systems fielded by adversaries moving faster than the speed of bureaucracy.
—Mitch McConnell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
This is so urgent, because the House of Representatives has to pass this bill in the next week before the end of this year's session, or else the bill will die.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
Lawmakers have until the end of the day Friday to reach a deal to fund the government, or else there will be a shutdown.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
The department must figure out how to adopt and integrate disruptive technologies as soon as possible, or else the military will find itself on the receiving end of smarter, cheaper, more autonomous unmanned systems fielded by adversaries moving faster than the speed of bureaucracy.
—Mitch McConnell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
This is so urgent, because the House of Representatives has to pass this bill in the next week before the end of this year's session, or else the bill will die.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for or else
Dictionary Entries Near or else
Cite this Entry
“Or else.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/or%20else. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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