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.
Jonathan Mingo — Still searching for his first NFL touchdown after just one reception last season, making this a make-or-break camp for the former second-round pick. — Nick Harris. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 Now Pearsall will enter next year’s training camp in a make-or-break walk year. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026 Breslow knows his job is on the line this year, and this deadline might be a make-or-break scenario. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 28 July 2026 In the realm of AI for mental health, harness engineering is especially vital and can make-or-break how well or badly an AI system responds to mental health considerations. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 25 July 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 7 Aug. 2026.

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