make-or-break

adjective

ˈmāk-ər-ˈbrāk How to pronounce make-or-break (audio)
Synonyms of make-or-breaknext
: 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.
Jordan enters 2026 as a senior in a make-or-break campaign for his draft hopes. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 This could be a make-or-break quarter for the software giant. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 Key Background Leerink Partners analyst Mani Foroohar wrote in June that Moderna’s late-stage cancer vaccine trial would be a make-or-break event for its stock, with the potential for the experimental drug to work across multiple types of cancer. — Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 But what comes after a peak is a make-or-break turn, one that’s broken many great artists before her. — Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 19 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for make-or-break

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Browse Nearby Words

make oneself useful
make-or-break
make out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make-or-break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make-or-break. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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