make-or-break

make-or-break

The final interview is a make-or-break moment for her career.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Critical for success or failure: "make-or-break" describes a situation, event, or factor that will determine whether something succeeds completely or fails utterly. It implies a decisive, all-or-nothing outcome.
Usage Examples
  • Adjective:
    • This project is a make-or-break moment for the company. (This project will determine whether the company succeeds or fails.)
    • The final exam was a make-or-break test for his academic career. (The exam would decide if he passes or fails entirely.)
    • Their new product launch is a make-or-break event for the startup. (The launch will decide the startup's survival or collapse.)
Advanced Usage

  • "a make-or-break situation": a circumstance where success or failure hinges on a single decision or event.

    • Negotiating the contract was a make-or-break situation for their partnership. (The outcome of the negotiation would determine if the partnership continued or ended.)

  • "make-or-break factor": a specific element that is crucial for achieving a positive result.

    • Customer satisfaction is a make-or-break factor in the hospitality industry. (If customers are not satisfied, the business will likely fail.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Make-or-break (noun, rare): a situation or event that determines success or failure.
    • The championship game was a make-or-break for the team. (The game would decide if the team wins all or loses all.)
Synonyms
  • All-or-nothing: involving a complete success or complete failure with no middle ground.
  • Decisive: having the power to settle a matter conclusively.
  • Crucial: extremely important in determining the outcome.
Related Idioms

  • Sink or swim: to succeed or fail entirely on one's own efforts.

    • He was given no training; it was sink or swim from day one. (He had to succeed or fail without help.)

  • Do or die: a situation requiring extreme effort or risk.

    • The team faced a do-or-die match to stay in the tournament. (They had to win or be eliminated.)

Note: "Make-or-break" is a compound adjective and is typically used before a noun (e.g., "a make-or-break decision"). It is not a verb or noun in standard usage, though the noun form is occasionally seen in informal contexts.