or else

Idioms  

1. Otherwise, in different circumstances, as in Present your case now, or else you won't have a chance . [c. 1300]

2. Regardless of any extenuating circumstances, no matter what, as in Be there on time or else! [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

However, as C.K.’s supporters love to point out, he was never charged with anything, and even he knows he’d better mind that gap or else.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026

"They gnaw everything except metal. Because of the mice, we had to eat all food products except canned food quickly, or else the mice would destroy them all."

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Most members of his Cabinet were forced out under pressure — fired, in other words — or else they resigned in protest.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

The company needs “a compelling new iPhone offering this year,” he said, or else it “could see declining iPhone sales starting at some point in the fourth quarter.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

But he doesn’t wait around like he used to, doesn’t say, “You need to say good night back to me, Axe, or else I can’t fall asleep.”

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers