last-ditch effort

Idioms  

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.

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Example Sentences

And as such, in a last-ditch effort, Blakeman is going up with a wall on the border of Queens and Nassau counties, where New York City ends and what most think of as Long Island begins.

From Slate

It was, according to legend, a last-ditch effort.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether the script is an attempt to make up for lost time or a last-ditch effort at staging a career resurgence, Nora isn’t interested.

From Salon

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From MarketWatch