ENGLISH
REFERENCE

live and die by

idiom
Meaning

Be completely reliant upon.


Examples
SIMPLE

Professional traders live and die by the daily stock market numbers.

CONTEXTUAL

In this competitive industry, small startups often live and die by the success of their very first product launch.

COMPLEX

The seasoned detective lived and died by his instincts, trusting his gut feeling even when the evidence pointed in an entirely different direction.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    cross my heart and hope to die

    Added to a promise or a statement to show how serious one was about being honest in what one said

  2. 02

    die a thousand deaths

    To suffer repeatedly (often mentally rather than physically); to suffer extreme embarrassment or anxiety.

  3. 03

    die down

    To become less virulent or strong; to subside.

  4. 04

    die hard

    Of a living being, to die only after a desperate struggle for life.

  5. 05

    die in harness

    Of a person, to pass away before retirement.

  6. 06

    die on one's arse

    To fail completely.

  7. 07

    die on the vine

    To fail at an early stage or never come to fruition, typically due to neglect, infeasibility, or lack of resources.

  8. 08

    die out

    To become extinct.

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