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

See Examples For:

last-ditch effort

Desperate for capital to expand, the company turned to the public stock market in a last-ditch effort to raise funds after exhausting its loan capacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Then, in a last-ditch effort to fend off Hong’s insurgency, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who had previously suspended his campaign, reentered the race less than a month before polls opened.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

If so, the switch movements would not be the cause of the crisis but evidence of a last-ditch effort to save the aircraft.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Samsung management and union leaders resumed talks on Monday in a last-ditch effort to avoid a strike.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

Leaned in and said something to Ali in the backseat, perhaps one last-ditch effort to change his mind.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini