make or break
All or nothing
Make or break describes a decisive moment or factor that will determine success or failure, with no middle ground: This presentation is make or break for the whole project.
The phrase works as an adjective before nouns (a make-or-break decision) or as a verb phrase: This season will make or break the team.
- crucialOf supreme importance
- instrumentalServing as means
- fatefulDetermining future outcomes
- decisiveQuick to conclude
- defining momentCrucial event shaping outcome
watershed moment · critical · determining · dealbreaker · gamble · pivotal · high stakes · crossroads · tipping point · point of no return · do-or-die · now or never · all-or-nothing · game-changer · ultimatum · last chance · sink or swim · put up or shut up
- decisionschoice, choices, yes, no, alternatives
- Either/Oryes or no, true or false, on or off, in or out, up or down
- hardshipshardship, adversity, struggle, misfortune, difficulties
- High Stakesdo-or-die, do or die, life or death, all-in, showdown
- suspensesuspense, suspenseful, tension, nail-biter, nail-biting
- crunch timecrunch time, do or die, do-or-die, last chance, now or never
make or breakinconsequential
Lacking significance or impact
trivial · insignificant · negligible · immaterial · unimportant
make or breaklow-risk
Minimal potential for harm
nothing to lose · safe · harmless · risk-free · nothing ventured
make or breakgradual
Developing slowly over time
incremental · step-by-step · progressive · slow and steady · bit by bit
make, break, makes, making, made, maker, makers, remake, unmake