dead or alive
The phrase "dead or alive" gained popularity from 19th-century American West wanted posters and is commonly used in media to indicate a search for someone irrespective of their living status.
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Definition
B2Law Enforcement
(historical, formal)Wanted, whether captured living or deceased.
Example
- The outlaw was wanted dead or alive, with a reward for his capture.
- Posters declared the fugitive could be brought in dead or alive.
B2General
(idiomatic)In any state, living or dead.
Example
- The search party was determined to find the missing hiker, dead or alive.
- The treasure was to be recovered, dead or alive.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "dead or alive":
living deaddead and burieddead on arrivalfrom the deaddead man walkingdead in the waterdeader than discodead as a dododead donkeydead to the worlddead meatleave for deaddead men