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• last minute
  last minute

  noun

  the time just preceding a deadline or when some decisive action must be taken.
• last-minute
  last-minute

  noun

  (modifier) given or done at the latest possible time

last minute

American  

[min-it] / ˈmɪn ɪt /

noun

• last minutes
  plural

1. the time just preceding a deadline or when some decisive action must be taken.

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last-minute British  

noun

1. (modifier) given or done at the latest possible time

   last-minute preparations

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• last-minute
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• last minutes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of last minute

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

last minute last-minute

"It is common in capital cases for the defence to raise last minute objections following decades of litigation in numerous courts. We are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to lift the stay."

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Things get considerably more complex when, at the last minute, Lilac becomes one of the headliners at a book festival Sophie is working and briefly befriends her.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

In August, Stewart had to abruptly cancel a Cincinnati show at the last minute for a “minor medical procedure.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

“I’ve been involved in many tight races in the past and understand last minute ‘needs’ come up,” he continued.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

We were all in the same boat with morning farming, but I’d earned a reputation for my speed and even more for my daring in leaving it till the last minute.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

But such a last-minute stay of execution brings its own challenges for those to whom they are granted.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

The procession had survived a series of last-minute legal challenges.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

The possibility of a last-minute reprieve for Maricarmen appeared when an anonymous donor offered to pay most of her rent.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

It’s a luxury hotel, expensive meals and a last-minute upgrade because, “why not?”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

That last-minute request meant Mother Lois had to rush over from her teaching job in North Little Rock.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals