grasp at straws

Idioms  

1. Also, clutch at straws. Make a desperate attempt at saving oneself. For example, He had lost the argument, but he kept grasping at straws, naming numerous previous cases that had little to do with this one. This metaphoric expression alludes to a drowning person trying to save himself by grabbing at flimsy reeds. First recorded in 1534, the term was used figuratively by the late 1600s.

---

Example Sentences

And they grasp at straws to “prove” themselves right.

From Washington Post • Feb. 27, 2023

You can almost hear the frantic writing of a thousand Apple computers as Carter and his staff grasp at straws to keep their fan base alive.

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2011

Claire's condition was that in which we grasp at straws.

From An Ambitious Woman A Novel by Fawcett, Edgar

Don't you know a drowning man has to grasp at straws?

From A World Called Crimson by Granger, Darius John

Even great artists grasp at straws for assistance, and it is interesting to know that to Miss Garden a wig is the all important thing.

From Interpreters by Van Vechten, Carl