be-all and end-alls

noun

plural of be-all and end-all
as in causes
the most important part of something or the reason for something He acts as if making money is the be-all and end-all of human existence.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for be-all and end-alls
  1. causes
  2. determinants
Noun
  • The causes of this go back decades, and AI is just the latest iteration of it.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • If that wasn’t enough, there may be other contributing factors, such as medical conditions and environmental causes.
    — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of causes
Noun
  • In their perspective published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine, a veterinarian and an oncologist quickly point out the social determinants of health at play in this scenario.
    — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 31 Aug. 2026
  • One of us is a social epidemiologist who studies the social and structural determinants of health, and the other is a prevention scientist who studies risk and protective factors among young people.
    — Jonathan Wright, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of determinants
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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be-all and end-all
be-all and end-alls
beam
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Cite this Entry

“Be-all and end-alls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/be-all%20and%20end-alls. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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