last-ditch effort

1. A desperate final attempt, as in We're making a last-ditch effort to finish on time. This expression alludes to the military sense of last ditch, “the last line of defense.” Its figurative use dates from the early 1800s.

Example Sentences

He even took the dramatic step of endorsing Cuomo over Curtis Sliwa, the Republican in the race, in a last-ditch effort to block Mamdani’s stunning political ascent.

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In a last-ditch effort, Ackman recently threw $1 million to an anti-Mamdani political-action committee.

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I’m making a last-ditch effort to make it work with a financial planner and marriage counselor.

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Meanwhile, Routh’s defense filed a last-ditch effort to have the final two firearm charges against him dropped under a Second Amendment claim.

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But it's become much more common in recent decades, in a last-ditch effort to save populations of black and white rhinos in South Africa and surrounding countries, where poaching threatens their survival.

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