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

See Examples For:

last resort

But for Mauri, the treadmill turned out to be far more than the workout machine of last resort.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Just like war itself, polygraphs should be a lever of last resort.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

The railroads advertised the L.A. climate as a last resort for the world’s sickly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

In his ruling, Lord Braid said clinicians had gone "above and beyond" to avoid the need for blood products and he was satisfised they would only be used as a last resort.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 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