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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

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Etymology

Origin of last minute

First recorded in 1915–20

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

last minute last-minute

Wing Jaime Chapman's sixth try in the last minute ensured they beat Denmark men's biggest international score of 122-8 against Sweden in 2012.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

The interior minister defended the police by saying they had been under "so much pressure" after working for many hours non-stop and had been deployed to a new venue at the last minute.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

When organisers eventually found them a plane at the last minute, the senior squad was so annoyed it refused to board and Burkina ended up hastily despatching an under-23 team.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 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

I’ll still pay you since it’s so last minute.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

The couple travelled into the West End, but they weren't there to do last-minute Christmas shopping.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Here is a last-minute guide to the race for Los Angeles mayor, which pits incumbent Karen Bass against Councilmember Nithya Raman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Pablo Mejia, 42, escaped with injuries to his head, telling AFP that a last-minute change of seat saved his life.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

And, of course, buying too late is never a great idea, as those tickets are usually priced for passengers who need a last-minute ticket and are willing to pay more.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

He didn’t call them his grandchildren, he called them last-minute visitors.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

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