life-and-death

adjective

variants also life-or-death
Definition of life-and-deathnext
as in crucial

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of life-and-death For our hunter-gatherer ancestors, getting enough of these critical nutrients was a daily life-and-death struggle. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 The life-and-death stakes were raised when the former high school series jumped five years to show a now-young adult Rue becoming a drug mule and working for rival kingpins (Martha Kelly’s Laurie also took her own life in the finale). — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 On a darker note, some successful bets on life-and-death events such as war in Iran and the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro have raised questions about whether bettors are trading on insider knowledge. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 27 May 2026 Playing a child’s game and managing life-and-death Middle East politics share very little in common. — Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for life-and-death
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life-and-death
  1. crucial
  2. decisive
  3. fundamental
  4. critical
  5. key
  6. basic
  7. pivotal
Adjective
  • Many market participants believe these results will serve as a crucial bellwether to test whether the AI rally can sustain its momentum.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Brown’s ability to hammer Husted on this issue is alarming Republican operatives, who see a Husted victory as crucial to holding a majority in the Senate.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of crucial
Adjective
  • Alphabet’s stock is down more than 15% from its May peak, wiping out roughly $700 billion in value, as concerns rise over its mounting AI bills and failure to produce a decisive technological breakthrough.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • There were shorter absences for core, ankle and adductor issues over the year, but a hamstring problem, which wiped out December and January, was the decisive blow.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of decisive
Adjective
  • This will accelerate an arms race as each side fears losing its ability to retaliate, a fundamental requirement of nuclear stability.
    — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
  • If operating as one team is the objective, the challenge extends beyond culture to the fundamental way success is defined and measured across the enterprise.
    — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of fundamental
Adjective
  • Engineers can develop critical reactor hardware internally while sourcing mature technologies elsewhere.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The mere possibility of losing its critical space assets in a surprise attack could push the United States to use its forces early or to delegate launch authority in ways that raise the risk of an accident, to avoid the devastating consequences.
    — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of critical
Adjective
  • The offence remains Toronto’s biggest liability, with key bats like Addison Barger done for the year and others struggling into September.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Axel Springer is expanding in the Middle East, joining a growing number of Western publishers with an editorial presence in the region — and testing a key pillar of its editorial beliefs.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of key
Adjective
  • Between the classic crossbody design, gold hardware accents, and rich color, this purse is anything but basic.
    — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026
  • There’s nothing basic about this evening look from the Elie Saab H&M collaboration.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of basic
Adjective
  • Iceland’s freezing temperatures typically last about five months of the year, but the government has chosen a balmy summer day for its pivotal national referendum.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But Bama followed with a 38-3 quarterfinal flop to Indiana, erasing any momentum and placing DeBoer squarely under the microscope entering a pivotal third season.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pivotal

Browse Nearby Words

life
life-and-death
lifeblood
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life-and-death. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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