last mile

American  

noun

1. the distance walked by a condemned person from their cell to the place of execution.

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last mile Cultural  

1. The phrase used to describe one of the problems in attaining higher-speed, higher-capacity information flow to every household. It refers to the copper telephone wire that still carries information to households. The limited capacity of the wire slows data transmission even though it is possible to send data over high-capacity systems from anywhere in the world to within the “the last mile” (give or take) before the house. The use of cable technology, fiber optic technology, and wireless satellite technology are several of the solutions used to address this problem.

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Example Sentences

The Fed reached the last mile and “got stuck,” said Carola Binder, a professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin.

From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026

She pushed through her last mile and collapsed into bed to recharge for what lay ahead: two days at a conference, where she delivered a keynote address and networked with prospective customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

With core inflation running at about 3% annually, well above the Fed’s 2% target, healthcare is a big reason that the last mile back to targeted inflation has proved so difficult.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

For Amazon, the Amelia smart glasses could augment efficiency in the "last mile" of its delivery network.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

Every stroke Washington took in the last mile widened the distance.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown