or what

Idioms  

1. A phrase following a statement that adds emphasis or suggests an option. For example, in Is this a good movie or what? the phrase asks for confirmation or agreement. However, it also may ask for an alternative, as in Is this book a biography or what? In the 1700s it generally asked for a choice among a series of options, and it still has this function, as in In what does John excel? in imagination? in reasoning powers? in mathematics? or what?

---

Example Sentences

And both Reform and the Greens are willing to push the conventions of what traditional UK politicians would find acceptable - or what they believe would make them electable.

From BBC

Who were the Burr brothers to tell good folks who or what to believe?

From Literature

No one knew when the war over slavery would start or what it could cost the country.

From Literature

If it is someone you just want to maybe win, but even more broader, it can be just things that you’re into, say, “This is why it’s going to be great or what I want to see.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It is too early to assess how potential refunds may be processed or what they will look like," said Niki Frank, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding Asia-Pacific.

From BBC