once and for all

phrase

1
: with finality : definitively
The team proved once and for all that they are the best.
2
: for the last time
I'm telling you once and for all that I'm not going.

Examples of once and for all 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.
And maybe most surprisingly, good at showing us, once and for all, the profound importance of intention behind our aesthetic choices. — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026 Until the Galileo spacecraft photographed Ida and Dactyl, astronomers suspected some asteroids could have their own moons, but Galileo proved it once and for all. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The inability of conservatives to break the opposition once and for all persuaded the establishment to try to cut deals with Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Party instead. — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026 Well, Nielsen, the company mostly known for measuring television ratings, attempted to answer this question once and for all. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for once and for all

Rhymes for once and for all

See All Rhymes for once and for all

Browse Nearby Words

once and again
once and for all
once bitten, twice shy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Once and for all.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once%20and%20for%20all. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All