or else

idiom

1

—used to say what will happen if something is not done

You have to leave or else you will be arrested for trespassing.

2

—used to say what another possibility is

He either thinks he can't do it or else he just isn't interested.

3

informal

—used in angry speech to express a threat without saying exactly what the threat is

Do what I say or else!

Examples of or else in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mayors, governors and state and local officials who intend to maintain their autonomy — as is their right — will need to navigate how to act in ways that preserve that independence or else risk losing it. —David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025

Any sums owed to the IRS, however, must be paid by April 15, or else penalties may apply. —Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025

Surely even small-town Mansfield, Mass., has a gay bar — or else, a short drive to Boston might do the trick — but Lucas’ only exposure to gay culture is the bathroom he’s been observing. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025

That fourteen per cent represents some thirty million Americans who right now are planning to spend a thousand years in a Messianic kingdom on earth or else speed directly to Heaven. —Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025