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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

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

"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

“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

It seems like McKinley wants to deliver a crushing blow, but then feints at the last minute, opting for a more optimistic kind of fantasy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 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

Rallied by the last-minute message blitz from the mayor, more than 1,500 people tried to register to vote online overwhelming the 1,000-attendee limit of the agency’s Zoom account.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Amid a last-minute spike in demand, nearby grocery warehouses were used to ship enough turkeys to stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

"There's been a lot of anger from fans on social media about the ticket prices but it's only what they do with last-minute holidays," added Dave.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Voter turnout and last-minute choices are expected to be key.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

But they’re not doing any last-minute vocal warm-ups.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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