last word
Americannoun
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the closing remark or comment, as in an argument.
By the rules of debate she would have the last word.
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a final or definitive work, statement, etc..
This report is the last word on the treatment of arthritis.
-
the latest, most modern thing.
Casual hairdos are the last word this season.
Etymology
Origin of last word
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pascal Gross: The German delivered an excellent cross to create Yalcouye's first opportunity of the game, and had the last word with his late goal.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
If you’re a seasoned people-mover rider, luxury is probably the last word you’d ascribe to the vehicle another mid-century promo video called a “monster on wheels.”
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
Mr. Robbins writes with an almost proprietorial love for Zurbarán and hence should get the last word.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents Association which organizes the dinner, said in June as she announced the re-do that "we will not allow an act of violence to have the last word."
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The last word was uttered in a roar so thunderous that Ranofer stopped in his tracks, wondering confusedly if it were some order he was supposed to understand and obey.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.