for better or (for) worse
idiom
: whether good or bad things happen : no matter what happens
We've made our decision and now we have to stick to it for better or worse.
Examples of for better or (for) worse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
How the district responds to the civil rights complaints and any subsequent resolution agreement could signal a turning tide, for better or worse, especially during this election season.
—
Stephanie Drenka, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024
No one believes in Biden more than Biden himself, for better or worse.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 May 2024
Hamilton, for better or worse, ignited a national conversation about the founders, hagiography and how Americans think about their country’s beginning, and about themselves.
—Alexis Coe, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
The fact that Ohtani is also now implicated in a financial scandal (his interpreter reportedly stole millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debt) has only—for better or for worse—increased his prominence.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
The microbes living in your gut can produce chemicals that can alter your mood and health – for better or worse.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 4 May 2024
Once reserved as a term for the lingering effect of particular horrific events on those who endured them, trauma is now seen—for better or worse—as a condition that can afflict almost anyone.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 2 May 2024
From an animal rights perspective, nearly every human use of animals is morally suspect, but animal-welfare thinkers take it as a given that animals of all kinds do exist in human care, for better or worse, and focus on how to treat them as well as possible.
—Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy Gabra Zackman Emma Kehlbeck Lance Neal, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Internet connections are spotty to nonexistent, and the conflict rages, for better or worse, without the breathless incursions and distortions of social media.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
Stephanie Drenka, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024
No one believes in Biden more than Biden himself, for better or worse.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 May 2024
Hamilton, for better or worse, ignited a national conversation about the founders, hagiography and how Americans think about their country’s beginning, and about themselves.
—Alexis Coe, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
The fact that Ohtani is also now implicated in a financial scandal (his interpreter reportedly stole millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debt) has only—for better or for worse—increased his prominence.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
The microbes living in your gut can produce chemicals that can alter your mood and health – for better or worse.
—Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 4 May 2024
Once reserved as a term for the lingering effect of particular horrific events on those who endured them, trauma is now seen—for better or worse—as a condition that can afflict almost anyone.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 2 May 2024
From an animal rights perspective, nearly every human use of animals is morally suspect, but animal-welfare thinkers take it as a given that animals of all kinds do exist in human care, for better or worse, and focus on how to treat them as well as possible.
—Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy Gabra Zackman Emma Kehlbeck Lance Neal, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Internet connections are spotty to nonexistent, and the conflict rages, for better or worse, without the breathless incursions and distortions of social media.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'for better or (for) worse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near for better or (for) worse
Cite this Entry
“For better or (for) worse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20better%20or%20%28for%29%20worse. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share