last resort

Idioms  

1. A final expedient or recourse to achieve some end or settle a difficulty. For example, If you don't improve, we'll try this new medication as a last resort. This term originally referred to a court of law from which there was no appeal. [Late 1600s]

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Example Sentences

California law requires AT&T, the largest carrier of last resort in the state, to offer basic telephone service to anyone who asks for it in certain areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

But you should still save it as a last resort.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026

The company describes the wall they built in 2023 as a last resort.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

Describing closures as a "last resort", she said the government should "act more urgently" to upgrade buildings, adding: "School buildings need to be conducive to learning all year round."

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026

This kind of brain surgery is strictly a last resort to save a patient's life, because even if the operation goes well, the risk of side effects is high.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman