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Synonyms

do-or-die

American  
[doo-er-dahy] / ˈdu ərˈdaɪ /

adjective

  1. reflecting or characterized by an irrevocable decision to succeed at all costs; desperate; all-out.

    a do-or-die attempt to halt the invaders.

  2. involving a potentially fatal crisis or crucial emergency.

do-or-die British  

adjective

  1. (prenominal) of or involving a determined and sometimes reckless effort to succeed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
do or die Idioms  

  1. Exert supreme effort because failure is close at hand, as in Carol was going to set up the computer, do or die. This hyperbolic expression in effect says one will not be deterred by any obstacle. [c. 1600]

Etymology

Origin of do-or-die

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Azzurri, who lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a do-or-die playoff on Tuesday, last qualified in 2014.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

However, it isn’t a do-or-die proposition for IBM, Woodring points out.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

Daniels doesn’t feel pressure; he’s laughing in the huddle in do-or-die moments.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2025

But replacement fly-half Frawley, whose first drop-goal brought Ireland to within three points, nailed a do-or-die kick from distance to spark ecstatic celebrations from the Six Nations champions.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2024

And it occurs to me that even in these do-or-die moments, there’s still space for us to laugh.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.