last resort

Idioms  

1. A final expedient or recourse to achieve some end or settle a difficulty. For example, If you don't improve, we'll try this new medication as a last resort. This term originally referred to a court of law from which there was no appeal. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Pitchford said he unsuccessfully tried to leave the army twice, before telling a forces doctor that he was gay to try to get a medical discharge as a last resort.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

A last resort would be a conservatorship, which is an involuntary process and takes place when a person is unable to take care of their finances.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Waiting lists have not been used in over a decade and are widely viewed as a last resort, per KFF.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

The government can elect to expressly be a buyer of last resort by only supporting suppliers when demand is weak, thus promoting more consistent production.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

As the city’s principal public hospital, Cook County was the place of last resort for the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans without health insurance.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell