last resort

noun

: something done only if nothing else works
Asking for more time should be our last resort.

Examples of last resort in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Closing a school should be a last resort, considered only after transparent review of enrollment, academic quality, facility conditions, costs, student safety and community impact, with a clear transition plan for affected students and families. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Davis’ path to becoming the de facto advocate of last resort illustrates how the system set up to care for families who are homeless in Maricopa County is failing them. — Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 7 Oct. 2026 Iranian officials previously regarded shuttering the waterway as a measure of last resort, to be attempted only in extreme circumstances. — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026 The company did not explain its decision, but the antibiotic — a three-drug combination injection — was pegged from the outset as a treatment of last resort by the Food and Drug Administration in hopes of mitigating antibiotic resistance. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for last resort

Rhymes for last resort

See All Rhymes for last resort

Browse Nearby Words

last post
last resort
last rites
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Last resort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/last%20resort. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All