How to Use last-ditch in a Sentence

last-ditch

1 of 2 adjective
  • In one last-ditch effort, Stone again visited his local Mute Swans.
    Zane Wolf, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2024
  • Owens' last-ditch appeals were repeatedly denied, including by a federal court Friday morning.
    CBS News, 20 Sep. 2024
  • But a last-ditch appeal filed by her lawyers late Tuesday night (April 25) has bought her more time.
    Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 27 Apr. 2023
  • And what desperate straits or last-ditch hopes led to such an extreme step?
    Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023
  • In the 14th minute, Franck Boli made a strong move into the box and beat the keeper on the right-footed strike, but a last-ditch effort by Alonso Aceves cleared the ball off the line.
    oregonlive, 21 June 2023
  • But in a last-ditch attempt to connect with Lily, the old woman recounts her life story.
    Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Apr. 2024
  • Determined to save her family, Chris courts death in the darkest reaches of the ocean in a last-ditch effort as the plane teeters on the abyss.
    Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023
  • The group alleges Boeing led Ten Oaks down a deceptive path in a last-ditch effort to buy time and keep low prices.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Mansfield brought in its fourth and final pitcher following the play but could not find any runs in a last-ditch effort at the plate in the top of the seventh.
    Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas News, 14 May 2023
  • Ward, in a last-ditch attempt at redemption in the eyes of his daughter, takes out the goon, and together the two tumble off the nearest cliff to their deaths.
    Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 25 Feb. 2023
  • Hence his last-ditch defense of Reagan as a pragmatist.
    Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
  • The loss was a stinging defeat for Ukraine, which up until the last minute was still rushing troops to the city in a desperate last-ditch attempt to hold the Russians off.
    Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024
  • The two sides agreed Tuesday to seek mediation in a last-ditch effort to avert a strike, which has come to seem all but inevitable in recent days.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 12 July 2023
  • The meeting was ordered by a Delaware court in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a long and costly trial, scheduled to start in April.
    Sarah Ellison, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2023
  • On Thursday, the appeals court rejected that last-ditch effort, clearing the way for the trial to begin.
    William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023
  • Pollock’s last-ditch offer came on draft day just as Torrey was about to leave the huddle at the Islanders table and announce Potvin’s name.
    Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 13 May 2023
  • But just as Arkansas threatened to take a commanding lead, BYU’s defense came up with a last-ditch effort to save the night.
    Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023
  • Behind on league payments and without key staff and facilities, the Breakers made two last-ditch attempts to save the team.
    Joe Eachus, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2023
  • Matt Verminski: To me, walking into that shop was kind of like a last-ditch effort to quiet my mind.
    The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023
  • The meal is a last-ditch effort from April to reconnect with her mother Joy, played by Clarkson, who is dying from breast cancer.
    Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 3 Sep. 2024
  • In a last-ditch effort to save money, the couple tried having their daughter stay at home while his wife was working, but that didn’t work out, either.
    Byalena Botros, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2023
  • When rhino poaching reached a crisis level in 2014, wildlife managers in southern Africa turned to a last-ditch defense.
    Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 12 June 2023
  • At the same time, though, Johnson is demonstrating how RIM, and by extension the whole industry, moved the needle out of sweaty last-ditch effort.
    A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 May 2023
  • The lawsuit, a last-ditch bid to delay the U.S. criminal trial, was settled earlier this month.
    Michael J. De La Merced, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024
  • His rants suggest that his pleas have fallen on deaf ears, and the threat to abandon the fight in Bakhmut — the longest, fiercest battle in the war — are a last-ditch effort to cling to a prominent role in the invasion.
    Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
  • His rants suggest that his pleas have fallen on deaf ears, and the threats to abandon the fight in Bakhmut — the longest, fiercest battle in the war — are a last-ditch effort to cling to a prominent role in the invasion.
    Mary Ilyushina, Anchorage Daily News, 6 May 2023
  • Bixby, the goalkeeper coming up to add an extra body for one last-ditch effort, strategized about where to place herself.
    oregonlive, 5 May 2023
  • Another launched a last-ditch fundraising campaign to save itself.
    Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 27 June 2024
  • The tight end played last season under a one-year tag worth $10.93 million as his representatives and the club didn’t engage in any last-ditch efforts for a new deal.
    Dallas News, 21 Feb. 2023
  • Around that time, as a last-ditch effort, the pilot called for tugboats to respond to assist, ordered the crew to lower the port anchor and issued steering commands.
    Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2024
Advertisement

last ditch

2 of 2 noun
  • But on the sixth, the last ditch effort was to get that crowd to stop what was happening in the building.
    NBC News, 26 June 2022
  • The ad comes as a last ditch effort with less than two weeks to go until Election Day.
    Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Oct. 2022
  • In a last ditch attempt to get Sam caught, Jay and Rebecca try to bury the phone in his backyard in the middle of the night.
    Anne Cohen, refinery29.com, 6 Oct. 2020
  • Erika and Gia then make a last ditch effort to be seen in a series that evokes the likes of Booksmart and Mean Girls.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 8 July 2022
  • This week, Texas House Democrats fled the state in a last ditch effort to block a voting restrictions bill.
    ABC News, 18 July 2021
  • The Saints last ditch effort on a fourth and 17 at midfield was the perfect example.
    Michael Niziolek, cleveland, 18 Oct. 2022
  • And maybe this is a last ditch way of hoping that he doesn’t get prosecuted for.
    Laura Johnston, cleveland, 6 June 2022
  • In a last ditch effort, Flemmings added to his Golden Boot status in the 89th minute and 10 minutes of extra time left.
    Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Sep. 2020
  • Lancaster made one final last ditch drive, but a 41-yard field goal attempt with no time left fell just short.
    Matthew Stepp, star-telegram, 21 Oct. 2017
  • Sweden did have a few nervous moments - not least when Andreas Granqvist had to make a last ditch clearance in the 80th minute - but the Swiss rarely looked like scoring.
    SI.com, 3 July 2018
  • Richardson even flew to Moscow on the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a last ditch effort to persuade Russia to make a trade.
    Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 9 July 2022
  • But Philae didn't pick up the call, likely never receiving the last ditch message.
    John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 12 Jan. 2016
  • Their apparent goal is to convince United officials to make a last ditch bid.
    SI.com, 8 Aug. 2019
  • That was until Mahrez stepped up from a set piece following a late foul, and the winger's last ditch intervention was enough to keep Leicester in the top half of the Premier League table.
    SI.com, 4 Mar. 2018
  • Aberdeen took a 9-3 lead into the ninth and Oswald Peraza, who hit a leadoff home run two nights ago, belted a two-run shot for the Renegades in their last ditch effort.
    Randy McRoberts, baltimoresun.com, 13 May 2021
  • Perkins’ family disputed this and chalked it up to Bullock’s last ditch effort to save himself.
    Krista M. Torralva, Dallas News, 15 July 2021
  • In a last ditch move to delay the bill’s passage in the House on Thursday, Democrats filed dozens of amendments to the proposal, all of which were rejected by Republicans.
    Anthony Izaguirre, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2023
  • There’s just one problem with the PAC-12 attempting expansion as a last ditch effort to survive, and it’s the fact the conference has very little leverage right now.
    Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 31 Aug. 2022
  • Couples therapy at this point is a last ditch effort to salvage the relationship, says Dr. Saltz.
    Madeleine Burry, Health.com, 11 May 2018
  • Seth Hurwitz was on a bike trip riding across Europe when news of his last ditch effort to save the long-suffering Woodstock 50 festival had leaked out.
    Dave Brooks, Billboard, 31 July 2019
  • The new timeline comes as net neutrality advocates make a last ditch effort to undo the repeal.
    James Hohmann, Washington Post, 11 May 2018
  • Worse, when the stains finally were tested in 2008 - part of a last ditch appeal by Henning and Birch - the result showed they weren’t made by blood at all, but some inorganic substance.
    Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 23 July 2019
  • West Brom boss Alan Pardew is primed to submit to player power in a last ditch attempt to remain at the helm and propel the Baggies away from certain relegation.
    SI.com, 1 Mar. 2018
  • Westminster then gave little resistance as Day scored on the next play on a run up the middle, wanting to get the ball back for a last ditch-effort to tie with a touchdown and two-point conversion.
    Mike Peticca, cleveland, 6 Oct. 2019
  • The visitors started the second half brightly, with Chiellini being forced to make two last ditch challenges to prevent Udinese getting a shot on goal.
    SI.com, 11 Mar. 2018
  • Eventually, Trinity applies white mime makeup and performs in a last ditch effort to draw more eyes.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 Jan. 2022
  • Zond 5 was simply a last ditch effort at snatching a national victory.
    Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2018
  • But the opposition voiced by Kimmel and McCain was the most decisive in the last ditch effort to replace Obamacare being ditched without ever coming up for a vote.
    Jeff Darcy, cleveland.com, 28 Sep. 2017
  • Sensing that pressure, Gonzales got up from her seat and began whispering to other tribe members in a last ditch attempt at safety.
    Demetrio Teniente, Houston Chronicle, 28 Feb. 2018
  • The Panthers' last ditch hook-and-ladder attempt failed deep in their own territory and Cleveland escaped victorious.
    Mike Jones, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'last-ditch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: