First recorded in 1915–20
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like Keerthana, Alicia Munhupedzi used the internet to find her dress - though it was a bit last minute.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Originally, I was given a small role but at the last minute they combined that one with another for a much bigger part—as Brenda Meeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
After showing worryingly weak early interest, World Cup fans showed up at the last minute to boost Los Angeles hotel occupancy and room rates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The conversation was private and strictly off-the-record: The venue had been changed at the last minute to avoid spying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
He’d gotten as far as digging out an extra Shabbat candle and lighting it, but at the last minute lost his nerve.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
She gave no explanation for Trump’s last-minute shift and said the administration would “continue to talk” with the Saudis to “get the deal finalized.”
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
The flight ended up being canceled because of thunderstorms, the report said, but was one of a number of last-minute requests made by the Vances.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Kerner’s family were already fans—he and his wife had dressed up as Pitbull and Kesha in 2014 for Halloween—and they lucked into last-minute tickets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Esports World Cup, or EWC, gets under way in Paris this week, after a last-minute move from its usual home of Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
One by one, the coxswains shouted a few last-minute commands to their crews and then lowered their hands.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
