if/when all else fails

idiom

: if/when everything else one has attempted has failed
He only bothers to read the directions if/when all else fails.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Finally, cuddling my dog is essential and if all else fails, chocolate does not. Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 2 May 2023 How to turn off an Apple Watch?Troubleshoot your device by restarting if all else fails. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2023 And if all else fails, grab your phone and start swiping. Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 18 Apr. 2023 And if all else fails, perhaps consider an extra helping of dessert. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 16 Mar. 2023 Watching pickleball or padel--surely available for the determined on ESPN2 or one of its offshoot channels, or if all else fails, on YouTube--then taking in an actual professional tennis match is like comparing finger painting to Picasso, the NBA's three-point shooting contest to a Finals Game 7. Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2022 Hyers said if all else fails, a pricier phone will give you better call quality. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022 And if all else fails, buy a cluster of diamanté brooches and pile them on to lapels and necklines—or in messy, bed-head hair. Ellie Pithers, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2022 And hey, if all else fails, know that at least your love is enough. Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 22 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'if/when all else fails.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near if/when all else fails

Cite this Entry

“If/when all else fails.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/if%2Fwhen%20all%20else%20fails. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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