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• the last straw
  the last straw

  The last in a series of grievances or burdens that finally exceeds the limits of endurance: “The management has given me nothing but trouble since I took this job, and now they've cut my benefits! Well, that's the last straw: I quit!” It comes from an old expression, “the straw that broke the camel's back.”
• last straw, the
  last straw, the

  The final annoyance or setback, which even though minor makes one lose patience. For example, I could put up with his delays and missed deadlines, but when he claimed the work was unimportant—that was the last straw! This term is a shortening of the straw that broke the camel's back, which conveys a vivid image of an overloaded animal being given one slight additional weight. The expression dates from the mid-1800s, and replaced the earlier the last feather that breaks the horse's back.

the last straw

Cultural  

1. The last in a series of grievances or burdens that finally exceeds the limits of endurance: “The management has given me nothing but trouble since I took this job, and now they've cut my benefits! Well, that's the last straw: I quit!” It comes from an old expression, “the straw that broke the camel's back.”

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last straw, the Idioms  

1. The final annoyance or setback, which even though minor makes one lose patience. For example, I could put up with his delays and missed deadlines, but when he claimed the work was unimportant—that was the last straw! This term is a shortening of the straw that broke the camel's back, which conveys a vivid image of an overloaded animal being given one slight additional weight. The expression dates from the mid-1800s, and replaced the earlier the last feather that breaks the horse's back.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

the last straw last straw, the

"This is the last straw," said Meghna Sen, a 17-year-old aspiring psychology student.

From Barron's ● May 17, 2026

“It could be a real easy excuse for us to say, ‘Alright, that’s finally the last straw that’s gonna keep us from doing this thing,’” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026

For many The Sims fans, this is the last straw.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2025

Village Roadshow’s legal battle with Warner Bros. was the last straw.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2025

Although he was still a wealthy man in his own right, Tycho felt this to be the last straw, and made immediate plans to move on.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

The shock is the last straw; the building’s integrity is officially compromised.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

And that was the last straw; the sailors looked at Clif, and Clif looked at the sailors.

From A Prisoner of Morro In the Hands of the Enemy by Sinclair, Upton

It was the last straw, the final piece of humiliation.

From The Harbor of Doubt by Gage, George W.

It was the last straw, the finishing touch.

From Leonore Stubbs by Walford, L. B.

It was the last straw; the captain felt he had to land and taste ice on his tongue again or die.

From The Argus Pheasant by Beecham, John Charles