all-or-nothing

adjective

all-or-noth·​ing
ˌȯl-ər-ˈnə-thiŋ
1
2
a
: accepting no less than everything
he's an all-or-nothing perfectionist
b
: risking everything
an all-or-nothing combat strategy

Examples of all-or-nothing 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.
Sides took ‘an all-or-nothing position’ Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and ACLU of Connecticut respond to Trump administration executive order banning transgender women and girls from participating in girls and women’s sports. Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025 More games mean more revenue, especially for matches with an all-or-nothing carrot — qualification, or elimination. Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 29 May 2025 Having this strategy prevents the all-or-nothing trap that causes many people to abandon their progress entirely. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 His all-or-nothing strategy of wildcat provocations that often sacrifice his pawns increasingly conflicts with Andor’s desire for stability, and with the requirements of the Rebellion’s growing ranks, who are in need of hierarchy and management—bureaucrats, not assassins. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for all-or-nothing

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of all-or-nothing was in 1764

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“All-or-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-or-nothing. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

all-or-nothing

adjective
all-or-noth·​ing -ˈnəth-iŋ How to pronounce all-or-nothing (audio)

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