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
Surely New York would be crawling with residents, pouring out of the skyscrapers and into the streets, or else retreating into their apartments.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 June 2024
The intruders ordered the victims to pay $8.5 million or else they would be left to die from the lethal injection, prosecutors said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 19 June 2024
Buy Now 'The Women Could Fly' by Megan Giddings
This genre-bending story takes place in a world where witchcraft is real, and women are required to marry by age 30 ... or else be monitored for the rest of their lives.
—Veronica Roth, Peoplemag, 18 June 2024
In fact, since many key countries of the global South will send only low-level delegations to the summit or else skip it altogether, the practical effect of the meeting’s communiqué will be even more modest than that of the UN General Assembly’s 2022 resolutions criticizing Russian aggression.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for or else 
Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 June 2024
The intruders ordered the victims to pay $8.5 million or else they would be left to die from the lethal injection, prosecutors said.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 19 June 2024
Buy Now 'The Women Could Fly' by Megan Giddings
This genre-bending story takes place in a world where witchcraft is real, and women are required to marry by age 30 ... or else be monitored for the rest of their lives.
—Veronica Roth, Peoplemag, 18 June 2024
In fact, since many key countries of the global South will send only low-level delegations to the summit or else skip it altogether, the practical effect of the meeting’s communiqué will be even more modest than that of the UN General Assembly’s 2022 resolutions criticizing Russian aggression.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for or else
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'or else.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Or else.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/or%20else. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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